Red Rain
by xXFu Fu-ChanXx
Summary: Kaoru reflects on her life with Kenshin when they were assassins so long ago. But now the end is near. LAST CHAPTER!
1. Default Chapter

**Summary: **This is a ficcie of Kaoru's memories before she dies. They are of how she and Kenshin met as assassin partners, had some issues, and fell in love, etc! Pretty much the same old K&K...sort of...ok, maybe not exactly! You will see many familiar faces from OVA and Meiji era but this ficcie takes place during Meiji! Don't be fooled(; tee hee..inside joke)! It's way past the Bakumatsu and everything. I like to change history in my ficcies! teehee! It ain't my fault! I'm just a stupid fool;)!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the characters such as Kenshin, Kaoru, Tomoe, Katsura, etc. Okay? Don't sue me, I'm not stealing these characters; this is just a story I'm writing about them to entertain myself (and hopefully you too). Thank you much! :D ( -- "thank you much" is my thing, by the way, you may get it from me a lot…)

**AN**: I am a fan of tragedies, so expect some tear-jerkers. I try to make them sad a LOT. even though it usually turns out to be a comedy...oh well. OK, when I use the star things it means I'm switching to a different character (If the current character is Kenshin I will talk about his thoughts and his only. It's kinda like POV…If I use the star things I'm explaining someone else's thoughts, ok?). means that I'm skipping to a different time or that the next scene is later on or earlier. Get it? If you don't, I think you will once you read. Okay? cuz I don't want anyone confused. This ficcie is going to be long, as in many chapters compared to my usual stuff. Oh and the > things, I use them to show when someone is whispering or usually when they are muttering to themselves. I use them in all of my ficcies. Holy CRAPPER, I talk too much! Gomen, this is like, my first series aside from the one that got taken off and I need to repost...Here I go again! My A.N. is going to be longer than my story! On with the show!

_**Red Rain**_

Part one: silver and gold

I am happy. In fact, I think this is one of my most happy moments ever. I'm lying next to my baka anata and I am…happy. This is the way things should have always been. Though it was very different all those years ago...

Evening. Men are drinking and partying except for a kid with red hair tied in a high ponytail who was sitting in a corner with his golden eyes shaded by his bangs. His sake cup was resting in his hand half-empty and it stayed there as unmoving as the drinker. You might think he was dead at first glance, with his non-breathing appearance, but he _was_ breathing and he _was_ moving. Well, his eyes were anyway. They glanced from place to place observing all actions happening. The dancing drunks, the passed out drunks, all drunks. Pitiful, disgusting, and all unworthy of the titles they were given. Each was nothing but an ungrateful drunk. They ran on a schedule, really: kill, get paid, buy sake, and get drunk. That was it. He despised it.

Besides his eyes, his ears were working as well. He caught most of the drunken morons talking about stupid things out of their stupid lives. That's always what it was. Morons. He could play it over and over and over in his head without there being any distruth in it. Morons, morons, morons, morons. Drunken morons. They had no purpose in life. Kill, drink, kill, drink. The most boring life, the most moronic life.

Obviously this red head was having a bad day. (AN: Can't you tell? I hope you can tell. If you can't then I'm a failure as a writer. Actually I kinda am but I'm writing anyway. Send an assassin after me if I don't stop talking please…) He thought about his co-workers some more and then took a swig of sake, draining the cup. It wasn't that good to him anymore. What was the point? Drink a half-satisfying drink and then lose your mind because of the stupid alcohol? He drank it to get less tense at the moment but one cup didn't seem to have an effect so he threw it. It shattered on the opposite wall and heads turned toward him.

Let them look; they wouldn't remember it in the morning with the alcohol chewing on their brains, the morons. They turned back after about ten seconds and the noise continued; the laughter, the stories- the moronic stories. They're like women, he thought, gossiping like women. (AN: I'm not making fun of gossipers, ok? Kenshin is. I mean, we've all done it, admit it. It may have been 'thousands of years ago' but in one point in time we just couldn't help it…)

Suddenly he heard voices outside the door and listened. It was his boss and some girl.

"Careful, now, they're all drunk," His boss said, "Don't let them try anything. I'm sure you know how to handle guys like these, though, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"If they do try anything," A malicious voice replied, "I'll kill them," The red head raised an eyebrow. Such confidence for such a young sounding girl. Though, he was only sixteen, so he was young too. And he was the best fighter out of all of his co-workers, let alone the youngest. Even if they were sober. She must've been good; girls didn't usually get in. In fact, she was the first.

"Feisty, huh?" His boss said, "Well, you ready?"

"I have been, sir," The girl replied. The door opened and all became silent again as everyone turned to see who was leaving or who was coming in. Nosy little morons…

The men began to howl as they saw the young girl step in. She placed her hand firmly on the hilt of the sword on her waist.

The red head watched her as she stopped near the middle of the room. He nearly scoffed when he couldn't see her eyes, for they were hidden beneath her bangs. But he could see that she was wearing a short violet kimono (AN: I'm obsessed with the whole short kimono thing. I love em, I think they are so cool, and easy to move around in. I even got to wear one from my grandma on halloween!) and long black boots. They were almost the same black as her raven hair but her hair was beautiful and silky. It was tied up in a high ponytail like his. Her obi was tied in a large but pretty knot and was the same plain violet silk that her kimono was made of. Now all he wanted to see were her eyes.

"What're you here for, little lady?" One drunken moron laughed, "'Cause we could use someone like you. Heheh," The girl looked his way and in a flash she whipped out her sword and slashed at his chest. She stood up straight and might have been looking at him, but you couldn't see her eyes, curse it.

"Don't try anything stupid," She said in a low and evil voice. He looked down at his chest and saw his shirt fall in half. "Or I might not miss like that."

"Ahem," The boss got the attention back to him, "This is a new member of our group. Her name is Kamiya. Now she's gonna need a partner. Dare I ask who's volunteering?" All the men began to howl and raise their hands, "I thought so. Kamiya, I think you should pick."

"Hey, Battousai has no partner! He can have her, we all know it'll be the fisrt woman he's ever been with," One man said. The red head looked up and gave him the most menacing glare he could muster, "Or not. I'll take her! Wait, I have a partner...kuso...> ," The man said. (AN: See, he was muttering that last bit to himself! Do you get it?! Do you understand my madness?! MUAHAHA! OK, I'm overdoing it…)

"Yes, that's a good idea," Boss said, "Kamiya, I think you'd be pretty good with Battousai, why don't you go with him?"

She swung her bag over her shoulder, "As long as he doesn't do anything...stupid," She said and turned towards the red head.

The boss laughed and said, "Don't worry, girl, he's the same age as you almost."

She walked over to him and stood next to him as if waiting for something. He looked up confused as to what she was hovering over him for.

"Are you gonna take me to our room? I need to put my stuff away," She said. He sighed and stood up, walking toward one of the many doors lined up on the wall. He slid it open and gestured for her to go in. He followed her in and pointed to a futon on the other side of the room. He walked over to a neat one he flopped onto in a sitting position. And he stayed sitting...with his sword leaned against his shoulder. She wondered if he ever laid down.

She walked over to her futon and unfolded it, "Why is it so dusty?" She asked.

"Look, I don't need a partner, okay? I've never had one. That's why it hasn't been used in years. So, just leave me alone," The red head replied. She shrugged.

"You're pretty young, you know. I think we'd make a good team. You fifteen like me?"

"No, I'm sixteen. Now, leave…me…alone," He shut his eyes but she knew he wasn't trying to sleep. She finished setting up her futon and then walked over to him and knocked on his head…hard.

"What the h--!" He yelled at her.

She just held out her hand and said before he could finish, "My name is Kamiya Kaoru," she said. When he didn't reply she said, "Well are you gonna answer me?"

"The morons call me Battousai. My name's Kenshin," He said.

She grabbed his hand and shook, then said, "What's wrong, you seem upset?"

"I'm just in a bad mood today…" He didn't say anything more than that so Kaoru walked over to her futon.

She flopped onto it and pretended to sleep. But he knew she wasn't. He was just having a very bad day.

But he finally got to see her eyes when she stood over him waiting for a response. They were cold silver eyes that showed no mercy.

AN: Okay, I KNOW her eyes are blue! Just humor me and review. I have several chappies already written for this but I need to know if it' stupid. Thank you much! Oh, and gomen if it was kinda short to you, I'm not the best writer.


	2. Assassination 1

AN: I'm Back! Here is chappie 2! Be excited and make me feel better please! I need the motivation to continue with this! When I started many months ago I was happy but I'm having my second thoughts…!

Anyway, DISCLAIMER: Since I'll forget this for a few chappies along the way, know that not under any circumstances in any parts of my story am I claiming RK as my own! On with the show!

Part two: Assassination #1

Mid-morning. They were hiking through the woods with their swords on their waists. The red head was leading the way and she was following at her desired pace.

"So, akage, what sword style are you?" She asked suddenly. (AN: Akagered haired. I'm probably not using it correctly, but it doesn't matter because Kaoru is a free spirit and does whatever she wants in my story...usually...)

He paused then decided to answer, "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryû."

"Hm. Never heard of it--"

"You will," He said. She figured it was either really common or really good. If it was really good she wanted to learn it. Surely he would teach her.

"Oh. Well, I have no particular style. It's my intention though to create my own and call it Kamiya Kasshin-ryû, number one satsujin-ken kendo style!" (AN: I'm probably saying that wrong too…)

"Yeah, well, good luck to you, 'cause you aren't learning mine," He said.

"What? Why not? I wanna learn!" She said. It must be a good sword style.

"Sorry. It's mine and mine only. My master is the only other person in the world who knows it. I think," He was finished and wasn't planning on saying anymore.

"Well then, don't you wanna share it? It must be lonely. I think masters are creepy. You should teach it. You'd make a good creepy master," She covered her mouth either trying not to laugh or because she didn't mean to say it. But the red head didn't say or do anything to the comment, just kept walking.

"Why don't you talk? You barley even talked in the cabin back there last night," She said curiously.

"Why can't you _stop_ talking?" He asked with anger growing on his tone. But he still didn't look back. He noticed that her voice was no longer filled with the malice it had last night. It was...perky.

"I think communication is an important part of life. People should also get to know each other very well, especially if they work together, like you and me. Plus, I'm a girl; talking is what I do."

_Is she ever going to shut up? _He wondered. _How am I going to murder people with Miss Blah Blah Blah hanging over me? I liked the old her better. What's this? Ten seconds of silence? A miracle!_

Five minutes of silence came and Kenshin's spirits were lifting until suddenly-

"Hey, akage?" A sad voice interrupted his peaceful silence. He sighed.

"What now?" He asked impatiently. She didn't answer so he looked over his shoulder at her. Then she spoke.

"Were your parents murdered too?" She asked, looking down at her feet as they walked. Kenshin was so preoccupied in staring at her that he walked into a tree and fell to the ground in a cloud of dead leaves. She stood over him and then held out her hand. He ignored it and stood up by himself. She let her hand fall with a sigh.

"What do you care?" He asked, not wanting the memory to rise again after all these years.

"Well, most parents wouldn't let their kids run off and become assassins. Something must have happened. Mine were murdered. Brutally murdered," She looked down again and he stared down at her. He was about one or two inches taller than her and knew he had seen more blood than most grown men had. She was still almost unstained. But a year's time would probably change that, like it changed him, year by year.

He started walking again, "They died but they weren't murdered. To me death is death and they are dead so there's nohing I can do about it, but I don't think on it...So, how did you become an assassin?"

She started walking again and replied, "After the death of my parents at nine years old I studied swords. When I was thirteen I tracked down the mob that killed them and skewered them alive. Heh. They weren't as tough as they thought they were.(AN: I like to make Kaoru able to train in like..a short period of time...deal with it...)

"They enjoyed killing my parents. But my parents were just people who knew just as much about swords as I did at that age. Nothing. They were taking a walk one night and were found by those good for nothing cowards. My parents left me with my grandmother who fell asleep right after they left. I heard strange noises and went to see what it was at the window. I saw them die as I peered out to see why my mommy had screamed. First I saw my father fall. They circled around mommy. I saw blood spray...and she fell too.

"But when I killed the gang I realized how good it felt, to get revenge on someone like that who killed innocent people. So I went to your boss. He watched me assassinate an assigned killer with my speed and grace and…I was hired," Her voiced had a slight twinge of triumph in it. He was astonished that she actually liked killing. He had thought she was so innocent.

"I see," He said and just kept walking.

"Well? I told. Your turn," She said, perkiness growing again.

Kenshin sighed, "My parents died, my master found me, I learned Hiten Mitsurugi-ryû, and became the legendary Battousai. Happy?" She giggled.

"I think my explanation was a bit more in depth, but I'm sure, in time, you'll tell," She said. They came upon a clearing in the woods where a single cabin stood. There was no one outside so they walked onto the porch and Kenshin slid the shoji open. Sitting and having sake were two men; one being their target.

Simultaneously they stood up and laid their hands on their sword hilts, chuckling.

"What can I do for you?" The target asked. The other one grunted in agreement.

"Your life is all we need," A voice full of hatred said. It was Kaoru. Kenshin looked at her and pushed her away.

"I don't need your help, thanks," He said. She stared at him with a look of disgust and Kenshin turned back to face the target. He just chuckled again and unsheathed his sword.

"C'mon, kid, you're not worth my time. Just go or die peacefully. Your choice," He said.

"Hate to say it, but you're not worth my time either. So, let's get this over with. I want to see look of shock on your face as you die by my hand, a sixteen year old," Kenshin pulled out his katana and got into stance. The target charged but when he brought his sword down Kenshin was already in the air and landing behind the man. One swipe of his sword and the man's blood was leaking out of the large wound in his back, "Pitiful," Kenshin spat.

"Akage..." Kaoru said speechlessly. That was the fastest fight she'd ever seen. She really wanted to learn his sword style.

Kenshin kicked the figure that gasped for life on it's knees to the ground. But in that fraction of a second that Kenshin was unaware, the other man rushed at Kaoru. His sword came down but sparks erupted as Kaoru's half unsheathed sword connected with the attacker's. Kenshin was about to rush over but Kaoru didn't want his help either.

"Stay there, akage! I'm not a helpless little girl, you know!" She yelled as she pushed the man's sword away and pulled hers all the way out. As he staggered back she threw her sheath behind her and lunged at her opponent. He blocked her attack at the last second but stumbled back again. Without hesitation she leapt at him again before he even finished stumbling and was blocked for the second time, locking their swords once more. She revolved her blade so that it twisted his and he staggered to the side with his arm sprained. She spun around him in a circle and swung her blade at the back of his neck, cutting through his throat from behind. She was careful not to cut his head off though, for it was kind of gross to witness.

Kenshin, astonished, stood with his mouth open. He never would have expected that girl to move so fast and gracefully. She pulled her sword out of his back and the man fell to the ground some feet away from his friend. She smiled.

"What'd I tell ya?" She wasn't even winded. His eyebrows raised, "I told you I was good and you didn't believe me."

His brows furrowed before she saw the shock in his eyes, "It was only one man. These were the lousiest fighters I've ever met. What could they have possibly done to deserve there own deaths? And I took mine out faster, by the way," He didn't want to admit that he thought she did well. So he turned and started to walk back.

"You know, akage, you're not the most polite gentleman in all of Nippon. A gentleman would have complimented me. You just don't want to admit that I'm good. Almost as good as you."

He scoffed and walked faster. This girl was going to be an annoying one, he could tell.

AN: Ok, my first blood and gore scene in this ficcie, plenty more to come! Yatta! Hey, it really wasn't that bad. I could've had them dice the poor fellows. So how was it? I can't help but feel that my chappies are really short…Are they? Please tell me in your review, because I know you loyal people are going to review, ne?! Thank you much! TA TA for NOW!


	3. Denial

AN: Okay, I don't know what to say so just go on ahead and read my next chappie! 

Disclaimer: Uh, pretty self-explanatory, ne?

part three: Denial

Dinner time. Back in the bedroom Kaoru was lying on her futon and Kenshin was sitting in the corner.

"Why do you always sit in the corner, akage? You must be a very broken person," Kaoru stated while staring at the ceiling.

"And just what is that supposed to mean...'musume'?" (AN: musumeunwed girl) He asked. She looked over at him at the end of his statement.

"Musume? Is that really all that you could think of?" She asked.

"Yes, it was the only thing I could think of. I'm not a very fast thinker sometimes, ok? You keep calling me 'akage'," He said and she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Fine, _Kenshin_. So anyway, you're a broken person. Something happened that broke you, took the happiness out of you, you know," She looked back at the ceiling and smiled, "Wanna talk about it?" She asked hopefully.

Kenshin broke into sobs and said, "Yes! Yes I must talk about it! Arigato, Kaoru!" record scratch>

_In your dreams, girl_, She thought to herself.

What he actually said was, "No."

"Oh, come on, you know you want to!" She whined. He stayed silent so she sat up and picked up her bowl of rice that was next to her futon. She took a bite to calm down; eating always helped her.

"Actually, no, I don't," He said, annoyance growing in his voice. This amused Kaoru and she giggled, "What's so funny?" He asked with even more annoyance.

"Nothing, akage, it's just...you're so stubborn," She laughed, "A normal person is like me. You're the annoying one. I wanna be friends with my partner but he doesn't wanna talk. I told you my secrets, you know!"

"Secrets? No you didn't-" He was interrupted by a steadily growing angry voice.

"I told you how I became an assassin!" She yelled with tears coming to her eyes at the memory. She continued in a whisper, "I had planned to take that secret to the grave...So you'll tell no one! Or you'll definately die by my hand! I promise you, akage!"

"Stop calling me 'akage'!" He nearly shouted. She just crossed her arms, held her head high and stuck out her tongue.

"I can't!" She replied.

"And why is that?" Kenshin asked with anger of his own.

"'Cause..." She giggled, "It's stuck in my system. I can't stop," She laughed some more but he crossed his arms and pouted.

"Anyway," She continued, "I wanna know why we had to kill that guy in the first place. They didn't tell us, just that we had to do it."

"They never do," Kenshin said, "All I know is they are bad people who kill for pleasure. Kill innocent people. That's what they do."

"How do you know for sure?" She asked him curiously.

"How do you think? I asked, baka!" He took a bite of his own rice to do something other than listen or talk.

"You have serious temper issues, akage," She muttered under her breath. But he miraculously heard her and threw a clump of rice at her. "Hey!" She giggled and threw some at him. He looked up with his mouth open at her, peeling the rice off his forehead. Then he chuckled so softly anyone could have missed it. Time stopped. He had chuckled. Kaoru stared at him with wonder, not caring that she looked like a fool with her jaw dropped and eyes wide and staring at her partner.

His chuckling stopped and he looked back at her, "What?" He asked with concern, "Is there rice somewhere-" He searched himself but there was no more rice stuck to him. Suddenly her mouth closed and she looked angry. Her fists closed tightly. He became concerned. Then she punched the air in triumph.

"Yes! I made him laugh!" She laughed and stood up, bouncing with joy. He watched her as she danced with one eyebrow raised. The things that amused her...

When she settled down and sat back again on her futon he spoke, "You finished? You know, you really had me worried," He stood up from the corner and walked to his futon, sinking into it with his arms crossed under his head.

"Y-You were worried about me…?! AHA! You aren't ice cold! Yatta!" She started jumping in joy.

"Settle down," He said icily, changing her mind quickly. She pouted.

"Won't you talk to me? Onegai? Just a little? I got you to laugh, that's talent, isn't it? Please? Please talk to me?" She begged. He lifted his head and looked at her, his mouth opening and closing in indecision. True, getting him to laugh was a talent, but he didn't want her to think she was special. But he didn't want to look soft either. He shouldn't have laughed. Wait, he didn't. He chuckled. That was totally different.

He looked up again and rolled his eyes at the ceiling. What should he do? Of course!

"I don't want to talk!" He said childishly. She pouted but he didn't care, "And if you didn't want to tell anyone your secrets why did you tell me? I wouldn't have! Why should I tell you mine to keep if you can't even keep your own? Why did you open your big mouth?"

"Because I trust you!" She blurted out without thinking. She quickly covered her mouth. He looked up at her in surprise. She trusts me? He thought. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears that sparkled in the candlelight.

"Don't cry," He said softly. Her eyes were now about to overflow with her tears until one finally spilled over her eyelid. He felt bad now; this was all his fault. He was always so sour.

He walked over and sat next to her. Quite suddenly she let go of her mouth and pounced into a hug with Kenshin. His eyes widened to their widest extent. That was quite unexpected, he thought. He felt tears on his back.

"Why are you crying?" He asked. She didn't answer, unless crying harder was an answer, which it wasn't to Kenshin. She was suffocating him. He was now willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. He closed his eyes tight and prayed that things would go all right.

"Alright, I'll talk," He choked out and he felt her grip loosen. He gasped in the air. Sweet, sweet air, he thought as he smiled. She slowly let go of him and sat back to look into his eyes. He looked back. He stared into the cold silver beads and she stared into the burning gold ones. The only difference between their merciless gazes was that hers was red and puffy from crying. Then she smiled.

"Honto ni?" (AN: "For real?) She asked gently. He bit his lip, shut his eyes as if flinching from a huge blow and nodded once. She beamed at him and hugged him once again, but briefly this time.

"So...what do I talk about?" He asked after a few seconds of sitting in silence facing each other.

"Just talk," She said, "Tell me things that you want to tell, to express. Tell me what you feel and think. Just talk to me. Open up to me. Let your emotions go. If you bottle things up they will eat you from the inside out. That's also why I told you everything, because I had to let my feelings go."

"Uhhh...okay. I'm an assassin. My name is Kenshin. I have red hair-"

"No, you baka! Tell me your feelings! Maybe even your secrets! C'mon, be serious!"

He groaned. He didn't want to tell her his secrets. He didn't want to ever tell anyone his secrets. That's why they were called secrets.

"I can't tell you my secrets. They're secret!" He said.

"You don't trust me is what you mean," She said. She just layed down on her futon and shut her eyes, "Maybe you will talk to me when we become friends..."

He felt pretty bad now. He never wanted her to feel that he didn't trust her. It was just that he didn't believe in trust.

"You don't understand. People can turn around and stab you in the back in a heartbeat, you know. I just...I never had a friend that I could actually trust all the way to the end before," He looked down at his hands in his lap and she opened an eye to look at him. This guy was sad. Really sad. She shook her head.

"You think that I would betray you?" She said, "You think that I am a back stabber? Baka! The only people I stabbed in the back were thejerks that murdered my parents. And I mean I stabbed them with my katana! Akage, I'm not that kind of person!...…Would-would you betray me? You wouldn't, would you? I really do trust you..."

He looked up. Those words. They mean so much. One wrong move and they could shatter and he would lose the only one that had ever said them.

"Don't," He said quietly, "I like the trust but...I wouldn't want to make a mistake and lose it when I need it most..."

She made a pained face and layed on her side with her back towards him. He sighed and went back over to his bed and sat down. He shut his eyes and begged. Let the emotions stop; take them away... Sleep would not come as he sat waiting for it with his katana on his shoulder. The sounds of the other assassins partying did not help him fall asleep either.

Kaoru's eyes, however, were wide open. He doesn't trust me and doesn't want me to trust him. What is wrong with this boy? I think he needs serious comfort. I will do my best to give it to him. In a strictly platonic way, of course.

AN: Ha ha, yeah right, Kaoru! You know you like him! Okay, so, er…what do you think so far? Sorry, some things probably seem really stupid but that just because I'M A MORON! Yeah, and tend to make up stupid stuff. Like the second chappie and Kaoru's past and stuff, I just had no idea what to do so I made up a totally impossible past and said, "I DON'T CARE!" Ok? And I know this chapter was DUMB alright?For those looking for action, I think the next chapter will be action packed...maybe...


	4. Questions

AN: Sincerest appologies for the LONG wait. School's been very busy for me and my internet was stupd. I tried to update on a number of occasions but there ere a bunch of errors, etc. So, at last...

part four: Questions

Crack of dawn. She knocked on the small cabin door next to the assassins' quarters. A sleepy boss opened the door and gestured her to come in.

"What can I do for you, miss?" He asked her slightly hung over from last night's drinks that he had alone in his cabin.

"I just have a few questions if it's all right," She simply stated.

"Sure thing, Kamiya. What is it?" He was beginning to awaken and focus.

"One: Who exactly are we killing?" She asked.

"Your next assignment is a man called-"

"No, no. What are these people doing to deserve the death we so quickly give them?" She more clearly asked.

"Oh. They are organizers of serious crime. Yakuzas. Murder, burglary, and murder, and rapeyou get it?" (AN: I am aware that he said murder twice...)

"Okay, but could you tell us when you assign them to us what they have been doing?"

"Well...I guess I could do that for you. Just don't tell none of your co-workers or they'll be asking too."

"Why can't we know?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"'Cause you don't need to. It takes up a lot of time to write it out all out."

Kaoru was unconvinced but was satisfied that she, at least, would know who she was killing and why.

"Okay, two: What is wrong with my partner? He's so...I don't know. He's just wierd, secretive...tense."

The boss sighed, "Look, I'm not the one to talk to about Himura. If you want anything like that, talk to him. It's not right to do something like that. It's like stabbing him in the back in a way. I mean, he's not a big truster and if we talk about him when he's not looking, he'll trust us even less. The greatest prize of all would be Kenshin's trust, know what I mean?"

There was an ever so silentsneeze from outside the door. Kaoru turned towards it and examined it suspiciously.

But she looked down and understood. She felt kind of bad for even thinking about talking about akage behind his back. It was wrong.

"I understand," She said, "It's just that I trusted him and he didn't want me to. He's kind of strange, you know? Why would you not want someone to trust you? He's the first person I trusted in a long time..."

"I know...Don't worry. I'm sure he'll change in time. Just wait a little longer. Once you make friends with him I'm sure things will be different," He said and stood up, walking her to the door.

Quickly and quietly as he could, Kenshin ran back to their room. What he had heard was slightly strange and wierd but...nice? He wasn't sure. He liked how the boss respected him enough not to talk about him. But he started feeling really bad about this whole trust thing with Kaoru. She was making such a big deal.

Kaoru opened the shoji to their room and saw Kenshin sitting on his futon. She rolled her eyes but he didn't notice. He must have thought he was slick.

"So," He said, "Where were you?"

"Don't give me that, akage," She spat, "Did you like what you heard back there, hmm?"

He looked up, "I don't know what-"

"Baka! I know you were eavesdropping. Talk about back stabbing!" She layed down on her futon and stared at the ceiling.

Then there was a knock on the shoji door. A piece of folded paper was slid under the door and the footsteps were heard walking away to the next room. Kaoru jumped up and pounced over to the paper before Kenshin even finished standing up. She unfolded it and read their next assignment in their boss's messy handwriting.

**_Zanza the Fight merchant- You'll find him at the river.  
He fights illegally for money. Known for his toughness and has never lost a fight. Age 16. Good luck. (Happy now, Kamiya?)_**

Kaoru folded it and put it in her belt then picked up her katana. She fastened it to her belt as well and walked out. Kenshin got his katana and ran after her.

"Hey! What, were you going to leave without me?" He shouted as he caught up with her outside the cabin.

"I don't need your help," She said and kept walking. He pulled the letter off of her waist and she looked at him astonished.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked.

"Reading who our next assignment is, if you don't mind," He said, unfolding the slip of paper.

"As a matter of fact I do mind!" She said and tried to pull it away from him but he just turned his back to her. She ran around to face him and yanked it away. But he had already read it.

"Zanza?" He said to himself.

"It's my assignment!" She continued yelling.

He looked up at her, "We're partners!" He said.

"You didn't exactly want my help yesterday either!" She stated. True, he thought, but...But what? he asked himself. But he didn't want her to get hurt? No, that wasn't it. That couldn't be it. What should he care if she got hurt? He wasn't her babysitter or anything.

Before he realized it, she was gone. He looked around but saw no one. She must have gone to the river. No! She would get killed! Wait, he forgot. He didn't care. But he still ran to catch up anyway. He found her at the river.

"Zanza! _I_ have a fight for you!" She yelled. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She was going to die. Stupid little girl!

There was a small house with a tall pole wrapped in cloth leaning on it. A tall spiky-haired boy pulled open his shoji door with a smirk on his face. Kaoru got into stance.

"And I won't lose it!" She finished. Kenshin watched, unable to move for some strange reason. He felt like she might actually win. Her ki was very strong right now.

Kaoru stared at the bird-head and imagined it was Kenshin. Her anger grew and her ki got stronger. She turned him back into Zanza and focused, for she didn't really want to kill Kenshin. She was just mad at him for being so hypocritical. Back-stabber. I'm not the back-stabber right now. He is! He's an eavesdropping little rat. Who just so happens to be, oh, slightly...kawaii(AN: kawaiicute)...but that was so not the point. The point was...she didn't know if she could trust him or not, even though she desperately wanted to. And it confused her.

Zanza walked over to the large pole and picked it up leaning it on his shoulder. He stepped a few feet in front of Kaoru.

"You really think you're gonna win, girl?" He asked with the smirk still on his face. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. I really do," She said as if she wasn't stating the obvious. It must be a spear or something, She thought, I can beat him.

Zanza shrugged and held his pole upright. He then grabbed the cloth and pulled. What came out of the cloth was enough to scare all of the forest animals away. In fact, a mouse actually scurried across Kaoru's foot towards the shelter of the forest, adding to her sudden burst of fear. She whimpered at the sight of the horrid little creature like a baka and turned back to Zanza and his humungous...well, she wasn't sure what it was.

"Zanbatou," He said, answering her thoughts, with a smirk. She gulped and tightened her grip on her lame katana. Well, lame compared to this monster.

Kenshin stared with no visible emotion. But inside he felt something incredibly knew. It might have been fear. But a new kind of fear that he hadn't felt for about ten years, since his parents died. Was this the end for her? She was so young, so carefree. And yet, she was going to fight this person with no hesitation.

One swing. One blow. One fatal hit. Instant death. She couldn't want this. In fact, he knew she didn't want this, but she was doing it anyways because she believed that strongly that she would win and that she wouldn't die. He knew she wouldn't, she couldn't win. He didn't want her to...what? Lose? Die, perhaps?

Was the Battousai going soft? Who was this girl who had done the impossible? She had gained the Hitokiri's care. Not much, but enough for him to not want her dead.

Nevertheless, he stayed put. For some odd reason, he couldn't move. Couldn't help her, couldn't scream, couldn't stop her, couldn't do anything...He was too terrified to move. But he didn't know why he was afraid. More than that, he didn't know what he was afraid of. He was 100 percent confused.

"What is happening to me?" He whispered to the depths of the forest. He felt emotions he didn't even know existed or what to call them. He stared as an eerie breaze blew his hair. He watched Kaoru's hair blow in the wind and slap at her face and neck, slithering across her skin. Her bangs blew away from her eyes and the stealy cold crept out of them, enclosing Kenshin and Zanza in their malice.

At that moment she struck. She lunged at the fight merchant and aimed to kill, but was blocked at the last second when realization hit him in the face that this girl was attacking. He had dragged the Zanbatou up to connect with her sword in a shower of sparks.

He was good, to block her attack at the last second like that. She would have had him, but he had to break out of the silence and into the fight. Why could things never work her way? Like with Kenshin. Why couldn't they be friends? Why couldn't he cooperate? Why? Why, why, why, why, why? Always "why?" She would never be given an answer. Only questions. Why did her parents have to die? Why was she fighting now? Always. A never-ending cycle of whys.

As she continued to attack him and he continued to block her she was not paying attention to anything that was going on. All she was thinking of was "why?". Would life never give her a straight answer? So many things were still a mystery to her. After fifteen years there were still questions to be answered. Why? Why couldn't she know? Why was she depressed? Why was all of this happening? Why did it start? Why won't it end?

Tears leaked out of her eyes and streamed into her hair across her cheeks in the force of air as she rushed forward. She sprung forward again. But was blocked. Suddenly, after several minutes of parrying and defending he found the perfect opportunity to strike. He took it.

I can't lose! He told himself. There it was. An open field to attack. He attacked it. Everything seemed to have slowed. Time slowed and her malice slowed. But he sped up.

Her sword hung at her side before she was about to attack. In that nanosecond he leapt at her, Zanbatou in hand.  
She saw him coming towards her and tried to block but knew it was no use against that...thing. The flat of the Zanbatou smacked her in the stomach and her eyes widened to their widest extent. Pain seeped though her and the wind was knocked out of her. Her slightly open mouth exhaled all air she possibly could at the impact of the Zanbatou and she flew.

She flew towards the cabin with shock written plainly on her face. When she hit the side of the cabin the whole thing shook. Zanza's force was very powerful. She slid down the wall and landed with a thump on the grass. It took a few seconds, but her eyes closed slowly as a single last tear leaked out and slid down to her chin. It fell onto her silk kimono and her head dropped onto her shoulder. She was out instantly.

Kami, was she dead? Her smile flashed in his mind but suddenly the tear streaked face with closed, lifeless eyes replaced it. It couldn't be...

Kenshin finally found the will to move and did. Towards Zanza.

Zanza stared at her for a brief second and then took a step closer, standing with his feet apart he stared at this strong willed girl. Such strong will.

Suddenly his Zanbatou broke in half. The top half slid off and fell to the ground. He stared at it with disbelief. His partner was now no more than a broken toy. How could this be? This was his one and only Zanbatou.

He turned slowly with sadness in his eyes. There in front of him stood a red headed kid with eyes glowing amber and evil. He sprung forward at Zanza, his eyes burning with hatred for what he had done to her.

Zanza, caught off gaurd, was attacked by a flash of speed. A sharp pain in his arm made him drop what was left of his Zanbatou. There was a deep gash in his arm. He couldn't believe it.

Kenshin was about to attack again at the boy's unprotected chest but stopped seconds before conecting when he saw the door of the cabin behind Zanza slam open. A girl with long black hair walked out. He saw a pair of gambling dice fall from her hand as she ran towards Zanza, who was cluching at his wound. The dice rolled from where they hit the ground and fell into the river behind the house.

"Tori-atama!" She exclaimed. She gingerly touched the wound and he didn't even flinch. She winced at the sight and dragged him back towards the cabin. Kenshin cocked his head on its side in confusion. Did this baka not see the essence of battle? He walked over and tapped her shoulder with the flat of his blade.

She turned and met a pair of eyes. They were firey gold eyes that burned with anger, grief, hatred, malice, and countless other emotions she could not place. She gasped. Who was this? She pushed Zanza into the house and faced the man. He rolled his eyes.

Realizing that this woman was utterly clueless he turned towards Kaoru who was leaning against the side of the house. He knelt next to her and brushed the hair away from her face. Then he placed his hand on her chest. A heartbeat. It was a miracle. He would kill Zanza later.

Suddenly, he felt someone kneel down beside him, "We need to treat her immediatley!" She said.

AN: Oh, surprise, surprise, she isn't dead…And guess who the baka woman is! The single person that I hate almost as much as Tomoe (sorry, fans of the two…)! And that chpter was pretty much just showing the beginning of Kenshin's confusion. Muahaha, I'm so mean.Anyhoo...Well, review please!


	5. Innocence

AN: Wheeeeeee! It's part five! I'm so excited I could die! Just kidding! OK! We have a guest speaker today! Jay Gordon of a band you probably haven't heard of! (Except, of course, Aoshi-sama's weaslegirl. And, yes, I stillhave troublespelling your pen name.) Read this if you had any questions! I might answer them here!

Jay: Hey, how you doing?

Psycho: Just peachy! So, do you have any questions regarding my fic so far?

Jay: Yes, actually. Uh, what took you so long to update?

Psycho: Well, as a matter of fact, that's an interesting story. Ok, I was all set to update a few days after I posted chappie 4, when I found out that my internet had some sort of error. It wouldn't turn on! I swear I was ready to cry! Think of my readers, I said! I felt soooo bad, I'm sorry, guys. Then I was just SOOO busy, you can tell what a great dedicated author I am...

Jay: Alright, and, uh, me and quite a few, uh, quite a few other readers are wondering why you made Kaoru seem so wimpy in the last chapter.

Psycho: Oh, you mean the whole whimpering and crying thing?

Jay: Yeah

Psycho: Well, I was just trying to prove that EVERYONE has weaknesses, y'know? I wanted to make Kaoru , like, this really cool kicking butt kinda person in this fic cuz, hate to break it to you, but I find her kind of a crybaby annoying person in the real series. Sorry. This seemed like a good time to show that this version of Kaoru has weaknesses too. I don't think I'll really do it that much anymore, kay?

Jay: Excellent. And...I think that covers it. Except, I, personally, was kind of disappointed that Kaoru didn't die. I was hoping she'd die.

Psycho: She's a main character, she can't die YET! Silly.

Jay: that! Didn't you say you liked tragedies, and you DIDN'T really like Kaoru?

Psycho: Well, yeah, but think of the readers! THEY might like her!

Jay: But--

Psycho: That's it for now! Enjoy the fic!

Disclaimer: 5th chappie and I haven't forgotten yet! You know the drill! Oh, and I didn't REALLY talk to Jay Gordon. Just in case you couldn't figure that one out. Am I supposed to put a disclaimer on him?

part five: Innocence

Afternoon. Kaoru awoke the next day. She opened her eyes but things were still blurry. But she could see a person with red hair ever so faintly.

"Akage?" She asked in a whisper and coughed right afterwards. She found it a bit difficult to breathe. But the figure nodded.

As her vision began to focus she saw him more clearly. His golden gaze burned into her cold silver as he stood up. A woman walked up to his side. She had inky black hair that fell past her shoulders and held something that Kaoru made out as a cup in her hands.

"You're awake?" She asked, "Drink this, then," Kaoru drank down some of the wierd stuff the woman put up to her lips. Then she sat up, and was suddenly pulled up by the one and only akage who had hovered over her when her eyes had first opened. She swayed for a moment but he kept her standing up.

"She should lay down for a little while longer," The woman told him. He just gave her a death glare and she backed off, "Fine, whatever, just don't come crying to me when--" She stopped at the death glare that pierced her again.

"I think we're leaving today, as soon as possible, if you don't mind," He said with and icy voice, "You obviously don't know what battle is. You don't just drag someone out of a fight because of a scratch, you know. He is our target. One way or the other, we'll get him."

The woman put a hand up to her mouth. Then she brought it down and shouted with tears in her eyes, "You can't! He doesn't do it because he just feels like it! People pay him to fight, he needs the money! They're the ones responsible for his actions! Like you! Which reminds me, pay up! You owe for the fight!"

He stared daggers at her, "We are assassins. And obviously he's been doing something bad or else we wouldn't be killing him, now would we? How about gambling? Could that add to his black record? What about--"

"Stop! Please don't kill him! Please!" Tears were now streaming down her face.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. Nope. Definately doesn't understand what being an assassin is.

"Look, you know how generous I'm being?" He asked her with frustration growing, "I usually would have just killed you and your tori friend and then anyone who witnessed. But I didn't _yet_ so what are you nagging me for?"

"Listen, we're innocent," She pleaded, "Honest! We work for two guys named Kanryuu and Gohei. They're crime partners. We're slaves for them. Please, help us! Kill _them_!"

Kenshin sighed and grabbed Kaoru's arm. He then dragged her out the door and headed back towards home.

"We'll finish them when you get better," He said, purposely loud so that the sobbing figure in the door could hear as they marched into the woods.

When they arrived Kenshin made Kaoru lay down and they both laid/sat on their separate futons. Kenshin spoke as an excuse to break the silence and think about something other than his haunting thoughts.

"She said her name was Takani Megumi. The tori boy, she said he was called Sagara Sanosuke. Apparently they work together as servants for these crime partners. But I don't trust her. She makes opium and she knows medicine. She could poison anyone easily."

"We should tell the boss and see what he says," Kaoru suggested in a quiet voice, harsh from her injury.

Kenshin was silent. It was probably a good idea but he didn't care right now. He was thinking about himself again, despite his attempts to think about something else. Sure it was selfish, but he was confused. What was happening to him? Did he...like her? As what? A sister? He doubted it. But he didn't want to say to himself that he actually...

Kaoru sat up and winced, clutching at her upper stomach.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kenshin asked.

"Going to talk--"

"Takani said you probably have a couple of broken ribs or so. Lay down," He demanded. She just stared maliciously at him, "Now!" He hissed a bit more demanding. She pursed her lips and laid down again.

He did the same and put his hands under his head then shut his eyes. _Let me sleep...Take away the thoughts.._. At long last, he fell asleep. It was the first time he had fallen asleep laying down since the death of his parents.

Kaoru sat up again and walked quietly over to Kenshin's futon. She kneeled next to him and waved her hand in front of his face. When there was no response, she stood and left. He didn't even grab her hand. He was dreaming...

Kenshin dreamt of Kaoru. Kaoru happy, which made him happy. And Kaoru sad, that made him sad. He saw her dancing in the bedroom after he had chuckled, he saw her hovering over him and shaking his hand before she went to bed.

Kenshin smiled in his futon, but Kaoru did not know because she was not there.

Kenshin dreamt on. Kaoru stood before Zanza with cold stealy eyes, imprisoning them in her powerful gaze. She attacked until she was attacked. She flew and hit the side of the cabin, falling to the ground. He ran up to her and placed his hand over her heart. Nothing.

He sat up and gasped as his eyes opened. Panting heavily, he looked around. He was alone.

"They said they work for two crime partners called Kanryuu and Gohei, sir. They say they're innocent."

"Work _for_ them? I learned that they worked _with_ them," Boss replied, "You say they're slaves? Well, I'll do some research or something and see who they really are. We don't usually make mistakes but…So this Megumi helped you?"

Kaoru thought about when she fought to keep her conciousness from slipping away from her.

She had hit the cabin and more pain smacked her full on. It couldn't be…It wasn't possible. She couldn't lose. How Kenshin would laugh at her when he found out she lost the fight. But she wouldn't know because he was going to finish her off, here and now, while she was knocked out.

No. She couldn't pass out now. She had to get up and complete her assignment. It was the only way to prove to Kenshin that she could do her job. Maybe they could be friends…

She struggled with herself to stay conscious for what seemed like hours but was really only nanoseconds. If only Kenshin had been with her. They would have won the fight together. But he was nowhere in sight. Why? Why didn't he come after her and try to stop her as she thought he would?

She couldn't give up, not now. But despite that, she felt herself being lost in blackness. Her vision darkened and she fought with herself. _No! No, I can't! Please! _

She pleaded with herself to stay awake. He would come to help her soon! She felt numbness instead of the biting pain as the unconsciousness came. She couldn't move her muscles no matter how hard she tried. Tears formed in her eyes and as her head started to tilt forward one of them slipped out. She felt it roll down her cheek and drip onto her kimono.

Darkness covered her eyes and she felt them start to close.

_Nooooo! Please…_

Then she felt nothing. She fell into the sleep that she didn't want.

That was the last thing she could remember before she woke up with Kenshin hovering over her. The woman came up and gave her medicine of some sort.

"Y-yes, she did," Kaoru answered painfully at the memory of her failure. And she was still alive, so surely Kenshin would laugh, sooner or later.

"Well," He continued, "Then I guess you can go. Just wait for my order, you hear?"

"Yes, sir," She replied. Just then the door opened and Kenshin walked quickly to her side. He grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing? Where have you been? I thought I told you--"

"Get off me!"She turned and yelled at him. Then she winced, clutching her ribs.

"See?" He said, "You shouldn't have come. You're wounded!"

"I don't care! Right is right and I had to talk to the boss!" She shouted. The boss cleared his throat and the arguing teens looked his way, just remembering that he was sitting there.

"I say that you carry your little spat back to your room and await my decision. When it arrives, Kamiya should feel a little better. Then carry out your assignment when you're ready."

Kenshin gripped Kaoru's arm tighter and pulled as he turned towards the door. She stood up and walked with him to avoid serious pain in her arm. She was finished with pain for quite a while and didn't want to give it a reason not to be finished with her.

Kenshin dragged her all the way back to their room and let go of her to shut the door. He stood in front of it as if he was blocking her from leaving. They glared at each other with their icy stares for a few minutes it seemed, each thinking about the other.

Kenshin's mind was in turmoil. He had never been so…confused…Was it possible?

_I have a crush on her,_ He thought quite simply. _And were anything to ever happen to her, I would go mad. I've already gone mad. When she lost that fight the only thing I could think of was revenge. But I have no clue of why I stopped when that girl walked out of the house. I had never done that before. I guess he's just a lucky man. He should be dead for what he did. Argh! I can't have a crush on her! I don't have crushes! I'm an assassin! What is happening to me!..._

He noticed that they were just staring at each other and he cleared his throat while looking down.

_What is wrong with him! He must be really confused. He's so confused that it makes me confused by what he's confused about. Mou, that was confusing. Argh! Why does such a cute boy have to be so...mysterious? Dark? And most of all confusing! I wonder what he's thinking about...Wait, what am I thinking? I can't have a crush on him! No! Love is not an option for me. I loved my parents and they got themselves killed! If something were to happen to him it would drive me crazy! But it shouldn't... What is happening to me!… _(AN: Can you say ironic?)

She noticed that they were staring at each other and coughed, looking away with a blush creeping onto her cheeks as he looked down.

"Well?" he said.

"Well what?" She asked.

"Well what were you thinking, leaving while I was asleep?" he asked. She rolled her eyes as if he were asking the obvious. Which he was.

"Duh! When else would I have left, baka?" She said.

He stared at her. She was right. That was the only time she could have left. But…

"You shouldn't have left at all, anyway!" He shouted.

"There's something I want to know," She said suddenly and looking down at her feet. "Why were you hovering over me when I woke up if you didn't follow me? And…why didn't he kill me?"

Kenshin looked down as well, "But I did follow you…I couldn't just let you die," He said quietly. Then he clenched his fists, "And I would have had him, too. But I stopped. Why did I stop? He should be dead. But I didn't kill him. She came out of the house and I stopped. That's the first time I've ever stopped myself from killing. I'm so confused. I need someone to help me."

While he was talking, Kaoru had walked up to him. She grabbed his hand.

"_I_ can help you. What do you think I've been trying to do?" She said and then whispered, "Let me help you."

He looked up with shocked eyes. He eyed her and then shook his head.

"Come on," She pleaded, "For once can we talk? For once can we be allies?"

He closed his eyes and sat down against the wall on his futon. Kaoru, still clinging onto his hand, followed and sat down next to him.

"I loved my parents, you know?" He said. She looked up.

"I loved mine too. What happened?"

"They died…" He said. She rolled her eyes at the obvious but then he continued, "…of a disease. Cholera, I think. And at the time I barely knew the difference between life and death. That might have been the first time I was ever truly confused. I didn't know what to do. I was all alone when he found me in the graveyard. He told me that my name was too wimpy or something like that and told me that from then and there my name was going to be Kenshin."

Kaoru stared confused at him, "What was your name before?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter," He said, "Anyway, he brought me to his cabin and trained me in the swordstyle Hiten Mitsurugi-ryû. Part of that training was building a cabin. Said it would make me strong. He would tell me odd details about this unusually large home now and then. I learned that it was his dream to rid the world of criminals but he wanted to do so in secret. It is the Meiji era after all. Even though he would be breaking the law, no officials would know and it would be for a good cause. I soon found out that the cabin was an assassins' quarters. And I was the first assassin. I agreed willingly, for I knew that I would be doing this job to help the building of a better world, well, Japan, at least. I wanted that because, well, I grew up in a pretty crappy environment. But I guess the job turned me into a cold-blooded murderer…I used to be a child. A normal child, and now I'm a machine..."

Kaoru stared then asked, "And who was your master?"

"Seijuro Hiko," He replied in a whisper.

"Boss?"

AN: Anything to say? uhhhhhhhh…Oh, for the love of Media Play, I don't know! Just review, please! And sorry for the LAME cliffhanger!

Jay: Thank you! Bye! flips readers off with a huge smile>

Psycho: Jay! Can we try to keep this AN PG-13? Sorry about him! Seeya next chappie!


	6. Answers

AN: Ladee dadee dadee da…Uh, right, CHAPPIE 6! But first! Guest speaker: PAIGE HALEY!

Paige: Hi, guys.

Psycho: So, as I asked Jay, do you have any questions?

Paige: Let's see…what would be a good one…there was nothing really out of the ordinary…

Psycho: Are you kidding! The whole flipping chapter sucked! It was soooo boring! You should be complaining!

Paige: But! Um…Well, I guess you could say it was just average, but it wasn't bad…

Psycho: You're getting there. Ok, if the ending of the cappie kinda confused you, just read this one, you should probably get it, sorry, I'm so bad at writing...sigh

Paige: Don't say that--

Psycho: Paige, stop trying to make me feel better. I'm just DANDY!

Paige: Ooookay. Uh, on with the show? Er, story...

Disclaimer: Part 6 and still goin', baby! Whoo, it's gotta be my record…Wait, IT IS! Okay, RK IS NOT MINE FOR ALL THOSE WHACKOS WHO COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT! Again, I didn't really talk to Paige either. Thanks for making me have to say that, it really lowers my self esteem…

part six: Answers

"Yes," He replied, "Our bosswas my shisho. And he still hasn't finished teaching me. Ever since we finished this place and he hired the rest of the assassins I rarely saw him outside of his house. Everything changed. He was no longer fatherly(well, he wasn't really fatherly to begin with, but...), he was…mysterious. I don't know where he got his information from. But he kinda got all depressed, I guess. I think the whole killing for the better Japan thing was what bummed him out. What he really wanted was to be independant, but he knew he couldn't do it alone…or something…"

Just then then there was a knock on the door and it slid open.

"Come on, love birds. I have some people for you to meet," Kaoru jumped away from Kenshin's side landing near the center of the room with an insulted expression. It was Hiko.

Kenshin's face was filled with pure shock. Talk about ironic. (AN: Ironic as in, Hiko left his house to go to Kenshin and Kaoru's room right after Kenshin said he never left it. Tee…hee…?) Hiko walked away and Kenshin looked at Kaoru, "Meet?" He asked. She shrugged and stood, walking over towards Kenshin. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up and they walked out to their boss. He was waiting at the cabin's door.

Hiko led them out to his house and they followed them inside, "Sit down and wait," He told them and left.

They did and waited for him to return. He came back about a minute later with two other men. They followed Hiko into the house.

They all sat down and Hiko began, "This is Katsura and Iisuka, my long-time partners. They come in the shadows and pass me information. I give it to you and _you_…well, serve Heaven's justice to those who need it."

They exchanged glances until the new men greeted them.

"A pleasure at last," Iisuka said, extending his hand. Katsura did as well. Kaoru shook with them both but Kenshin just stared expressionlessly.

"We've heard so much about you. Not friendly, huh?" Katsura took his hand back as did Iisuka after him. Hiko took a sip of his sake.

"Yes, he's gone cold, guys. Sorry. Anyway, this is his new partner Kamiya Kaoru. She's fairly new. But she's good."

Iisuka whispered to Katsura so Kaoru couldn't hear, "_I can't believe he hired a girl. I almost took her up as a geisha or something. Heh."_

Katsura spoke to Hiko, "_For him? Nonsense…_" He whispered back, "A girl, Hiko? That's a first. I wonder, could we see her at work? This is, after all, most unusual."

"Why don't you watch their next assignment? Speeking of which…?"

Katsura nodded, "Gohei and Kanryuu are among some of the top crime partners in the world. Gohei is the crime committer and Kanryuu is the negotiator, mostly. He is also a mass producer of opium. But a new kind of opium. A stronger kind. They need to be, shall we say, _stopped_."

Kaoru nodded and grabbed Kenshin's hand, getting ready to drag him out.

"Wait," Kenshin said, but not directed at Kaoru, "The other two. Are they innocent?"

"Ah, yes, for the most part," Iisuka said, "They've committed crimes before on their own, but...we don't think they desserve the death penalty for it. So...they are classified as innocent for now, our mistake. They are just workers, currently. They work forGohei and Kanryuuagainst their will and without pay, except for meal scraps. The girl is the lead opium maker and the boy gets Gohei money with his fights. The boy is allowed one fourth of the earnings per month. Not that he needs it, they don't get out by themselves often."

"That's horrible," Kaoru said, "Where can we find Gohei and Kanryuu?"

"The outskirts of Kyoto is their fortress. Don't worry, you won't miss them. Just look for a castle. We'll lead you in the right direction," Iisuka said.

"Think they'll be easy?" Kaoru asked as they walked through the quiet city according to Katsura and Iisuka's directions.

"Why? You nervous?" Kenshin asked her.

"No!" She replied. Kenshin smirked and she continued, "I just want to know your opinion, that's all. I like to hear you talk."

"Yeah, they should be easy," Kenshin answered, "They're the leaders. They'll have bodygaurds of course but they're never hard to beat. Those two probably never even killed with their own sword before. Hmph. Negotiator…This won't be too hard at all…"

Kaoru nodded. He had good logic.

Then they saw it. One of the largest western mansions they had ever seen. They gaped at it then walked swiftly and quietly toward the house and entered.

"This must be it. I'll find Kanryuu. I want him," Kaoru whispered.

"Don't say that. Killing is not a good thing. You should never want it..." Kenshin whispered back and they split up.

Kaoru went upstairs and turned left into a corridor. She listened for voices and finally heard some. A man and a woman. One was very familiar. The woman's voice. It was Megumi.

She followed it to a door at the end of the hall way.

"I swear, if you don't give us better conditions, I will kill you."

"Like what? You don't want me to pay you, do you? You won't be going anywhere to spend it. Or do you want a softer bed? Delicious food right from my own plate?"

"Kanryuu! You--!"

Kaoru heard a blade being unsheathed.

"Don't be rediculous, Megumi! You won't kill me. And what happened to Kanryuu-sama!" Then there was the sound of a slap and the blade was heard clattering to the floor. Kaoru opened the door labeled "Kanryuu's Study."

"This has gone far enough, Kanryuu!" She shouted. The girl on the floor looked up at her, her hand was raised to her red cheek where Kanryuu must have slapped her. She crawled over to the corner of the room and stared at the two in horror, not knowing if she could trust either one.

"I am here to serve as Heaven's Justice," Kaoru continued, "And your time, Kanryuu, has come."

She unsheathed her katana and pointed it at Kanryuu.

"W-Who are you?" He stammered.

"My name is Kamiya Kaoru and I am here to assassinate you. For you, Kanryuu, have been a bad boy. Bad boys must be punished."

"Kamiya...You're the brat that got rid of that useless gang of mine aren't you? Yes, I have heard of you."

"Y-_Your_ gang?" She asked, shaking with emotions.

"Hit a weak spot, did I? Yes, I owned that gang. And you did me a favor by getting rid of them. One less group to kill off. They were by far the biggest nuisance I ever hired. Thank you," He smirked.

"They killed my parents," Kaoru said shaking with rage, "You will pay for their evil deed."

A new rage began to grow inside her and she gripped her sword tighter.

"Oh, but I won't," Kanryuu said, walking backwards toward a covered object, "I just so happen to have…" He pulled the sheet off of the thing, "a gatling gun! Saved it for just such an occasion as this."

"That's cheating!" She shrieked. She screamed with rage, summoning her all of her adrenaline and ran up to him before he was finished getting the gun ready. She lifted her katana and swung. The gun in front of him burst into two peices. She marveled at her work and then looked back up at Kanryuu.

"Now," She said with malice, "Shall we finish? Do you not have a sword?" She traced his neck with her sword, leaving a paper-cut like mark all the way across it.

He gulped and shook his head.

"Then shall we do this nice and slowly enjoyable or quickly and painlessly effortless?……How does it feel to know that you are going to die, Kanryuu?" Kaoru asked.

He gulped again, "Please don't kill me! Anything! I'll give anything! Please, whatever you want, I will give you! What are your demands! Please! I beg of you!"

"How about my parents?" She asked, "Can you give them to me? Hm?" She pressed the tip of her blade to his chest until it cut into his skin. Drops of blood seeped into his clothing. He began to cry.

"Please! Please spare me!" He sobbed.

"How about...my sanity? Can you give that to me? The death of my parents drove me so insane that I became an assassin! Are you able to take it all back?" She cried. He stupidly shook his head and was about to plead some more but Kaoru plunged her sword the rest of the way in, "Then the deal's off. A worthless crybaby scumbag like you doesn't desserve to be spared, anyway. Agreed?" She said through his screams as he fell to his knees and his glasses clattered to the floor.

She pulledher blade out and his blood sprayed onto her legs and boots. He then fell all the way to the floor and created a puddle of his own blood, soaking in it. His greasy hair lay red in the puddle which was starting to spread farther around him. (AN: Oh, yeah! Wimpy original Kaoru gone and replaced with a butt kicking, totally psycho Kaoru of my own design!)

She flicked her sword to rid it of the foul blood it had released thinking that this was far too easy. Then she turned and was about to leave when she noticed Megumi in the corner, her eyes wide.

"I'm not going to kill you, Megumi-san," She told her coldly, but gently as she could, "You helped me, remember? Besides, you've been classified as innocent for now. Along with that Zanza of yours."

Megumi stood up and hugged her. Kaoru was shocked. She felt tears dropping onto her back.

"Thank you…" Megumi whispered. Then she ran out the door. Kaoru noticed the short sword was missing from the floor so figured that Megumi must have taken it again.

Kaoru left as well to find Kenshin who had gone right instead of left at the top of the stairs. But then she heard a gunshot echoing through the halls.

"Kenshin…!"

Kenshin turned right and Kaoru turned left. He found himself in a large room. At the end was a door and it opened just as he stepped in the room. A frog-like man walked out conversing with two others with swords on their belts.

They saw Kenshin and froze. The frog-man, obviously Gohei, commanded them to kill Kenshin so they charged forward. But Kenshin wasn't going to die by their hands.

He parried their attacks and swung at one just as he raised his blade over Kenshin's head. One down. The other stopped to look at his fallen cohort in shock. Kenshin attacked at that moment. But the man was swift enough to block his attack at the last second. However, they're blades were locked. Sparks flew from their swords as they pushed against each other, metal scraping on metal, the awful sound filling the room.

Kenshin growled in frustration and threw all of his force onto his sword. The man stumbled backward and Kenshin leapt at him. He lifted his sword and…hit. The blood sprayed from the deep gash in the foolish bodyguard's neck.

The man fell to the ground with glazed, lifeless eyes staring up at Kenshin. Kenshin paid no notice, though, and turned his attention towards a frightened looking Gohei.

"Gohei, I presume?" Kenshin said. The frog face went normal and stared at Kenshin as he walked towards Gohei.

"Yes…Battousai," He smirked.

"So you know me?" Kenshin asked.

"Indeed," Gohei replied slyly, "I've heard rumors of a man who assassinates people with graceful speed. You are him."

"Then you should know how to expect your death. I could be quick if you don't squirm. If you do, however, I will have no choice but to kill you slowly and painfully. So sit back for Heaven's Justice."

But Gohei pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Kenshin, "I don't think I want to," Gohei smirked. Kenshin stopped a few feet in front of Gohei. "That's right. I'm sure you can't dodge a bullet, now can you, God's child?"

He cocked the gun and put his finger on the trigger. Kenshin glared at him. But he pulled the trigger and the gun fired.

Kenshin, however, was known for his godlike speed. Without even being seen moving, he slashed his blade in front of him and the bullet fell to the floor in two pieces.

Gohei stared at it, "I-Immpossible…!"

"Not quite," Kenshin said. He whacked Gohei's hands with the flat of his blade…hard. Gohei yelped and dropped the gun.

"Now, I'm not used to killing unarmed men, but since you had a gun, I guess that's good enough," Kenshin said to him.

"Don't! Please! Guards! No!" Gohei pleaded but Kenshin paid no attention.

"Men can take a number of different paths in their lives. I think you chose one of the worst one's. _This_ is Heaven's Justice!" Kenshin raised his sword and lunged at the man that was attempting to walk backwards. He was, however, too afraid and so he tripped over his own foot, landing on the floor. Kenshin's sword glowed in the dim room as it swung down and lodged itself in Gohei's chest.

Kenshin pulled his sword out and Gohei's blood spurted up as he fell onto his back. He flicked his blade then wiped it clean. Then he sheathed it and turned around, ready to find Kaoru.

Just then, Kaoru came running into the room.

"You're all right!" She yelled and ran at him with blood soaked legs. Kenshin on the other hand, was blood soaked all over. She didn't care though. She was used to the sight and smell of blood. She was an assassin.

Kenshin looked at her as she said, "I heard a gunshot and got worried."

"Don't ever worry about me," He said, "I'll always be okay."

He stared at her face that was full of playing emotions. He read them plainly. Shock. Joy. Relief. Then he searched her eyes. They were different. They were full of something new. Or at least something was stronger. He finally figured it out.

Hatred.

AN: Sorry if you don't like graphic scenes (I highly doubt it but just making sure). I, personally, like to write it and I like gory video games and such! And true as that may be I'd probably never be able to kill anything, but as long as it's fake, it's cool! Okay? By the way, I kinda...um...deleted my whole story, so I havta write it again, it may take a while...sorry...See you guys next time!

Paige: Seeya!


	7. Pomegranite

AN: Hey there, folks! Sorry, i just typed ths up fast for you so i didn't read it over or anything yet. sorry if it's stupider than usual. Anyhoo! This is chapter seven but first, as usual, our guest speaker! It's—

Guest: I'm Chibi! I'm from a band called the Birthday Massacre, and personally, I think you'd love our music, cuz it's always melodic and listenable! You need to get our cds and come to our concerts! The band, we all met at college, and that's where we started the music thing for fun, but then it turned out to be original material so we got everyone together and made a band for real! My favorite song to perform at the moment is "the Dream" cuz it's such a high energy song and—

Me: Well, that's great, Chibi! Really, but I kinda brought you here cuz we were supposed to talk about my stupid story!

Chibi: Oh, it's not that bad! Anyway, one time my parents came to one of our concerts and my mom even made a TBM baseball cap for herself!…I cried…(sniff) Aheheh…

Me: Well, then, any questions that you have so far?

Chibi: Who me? Oh! Um…well…not really…I don't think…gimme a second…

Me: Ok, thanks, Chibi! On with the show! You know the drill with the disclaimer, I know you're not stupid!

part 7: Pomegranite

Evening the next night. Kenshin and Kaoru were in Hiko's cabin. Katsura and Iisuka were there.

"Sorry we missed the show, guys, but something came up," Iisuka smirked.

"Something big…" Katsura went on, "And we won't miss this show, trust me…"

"So, here's the scoop, a man was found to have abandoned the government and now works for a criminal group, not a very well known one, but still…Anyway, he's the easy part for now. We just want you to kill him and his partner. They guard a small headquarters and as soon as we get in there we'll probably be able to scavenge up enough info on this group and get you back into work mode. Any questions?" Iisuka explained to them all that they needed to know, or wanted to know.

"Fine," Kenshin said impatiently when Iisuka was finished and Kaoru had no more questions, "Now let's go, before the sun rises."

"Kenshin…!" Kaoru rolled her eyes. Why was he so eager to kill this person after he told her to not to want to kill?

"I want to get it over with, is that so terrible?" Kenshin asked, not looking over at her, but straight ahead.

Kaoru just looked away and waited for Katsura and Iisuka to lead the way. They took them through the shadows quite expertly to a small little house with two men standing outside.

"THAT is the headquaters of a criminal group?" Kaoru asked surprised.

"I told you," Iisuka said, "that they weren't really well known yet. And this isn't their ONLY headquarters…"

"Well, then, Kenshin, shall we?" Kaoru looked to him.

Katsura grabbed her shoulder, "We'll be watching…Do your best, first impressions are important."

Kaoru nodded and she and Kenshin stepped into a patch of silver moonlight. The two guards saw them immediately and got into identical stances.

"Who are you?" The man on the left of the door said, eyeing Kenshin and Kaoru's swords.

The other one said, "If you mean to get in here you'll need to get passed us! We know you're assassins! Why else would you be carrying blades!"

"We just serve as heaven's justice," Kenshin said to them.

"You should prepare to meet the face of death that we have chosen for you…" Kaoru said maliciously.

"I warn you," The man on the left said, "We have not been trained to die, or to let you pass…So if you want to die, step forward!"

Kaoru and Kenshin just paused. He seemed confident enough. But they looked closely and noticed that we was shaking violently in fear. They almost felt bad for him.

They lunged at their opponents, each taking one in order not to interfere with the other's battle. Kenshin took the man on the left, Kaoru took the right, obviously. They were both engaged in heated battles, not the worst they had ever fought, but still good competition. Metal scraped on metal as the four attacked and blocked each other.

Katsura and Iisuka stood, still in the shadows, absorbing Kaoru and Kenshin's every moves. Kaoru was very graceful and speedy, but not as fast as Kenshin, however. But still, they knew she would get the job done. Kenshin was not attacking with all of his strength they could tell. Perhaps he was saving it, and tiring out his opponent first.

The two guards were beginning to falter and sweat. Kaoru and Kenshin were pelting them with attacks, but they managed to block them. Now that Kaoru and Kenshin could tell that their opponents were panting and tired they threw all of their power into their blows.

Kaoru managed to dig a deep gash into her opponent's arm so he was stuck with only one to fight with. And by now he was having much trouble keeping up with her.

Kenshin still wasn't giving all he had but it didn't matter. He growled at the man he was trying to kill, "Give up already! You cannot beat the legendary hitokiri! I will cut you up slow if that's what you force me to do! And that will hurt much more than ifyou let me do it quick!"

"Never!" He shouted back, "You won't kill me, I won't let you! I have my whole life ahead of me! You would too if you hadn't become a servant of death! I'll ease you pain, assassin!"

Kenshin threw another great attack, this one much stronger than the others, and the guard noticed that. Realizing his assassin's power, he stumbled back, thinking quickly, _Gods! He's too good! _But Kenshin didn't need time to think.

"Here it comes!" Kenshin screamed at him and lunged a downward attack at him. The boy was lucky enough to have attempted a dodge and the attack only grazed his shoulder, blood seeped out and soaked into his clothing.

Meanwhile, Kaoru was throwing swings at her opponent by the second. He wasn't able to attack her as much with his bad arm but he was managing to frustrate her by blocking all of her attacks, even if just barely. Maybe if she could throw off his balance she could get a clear shot.

Since he was used to her trying to hit his neck or chest he was caught off guard when she struck at his legs and she hit. She cut half way through his leg, she could hear it as much as he could feel it. She didn't really mean to do that but she didn't really care. He was off balance all right.

But since he was already suffering and he had greatly frustrated her, the question was should she finish him now or later? She decided to stall a little. As he tried to crawl away on his back she stuck her sword through his leg to pin him down and he screamed in pain.

That's when she pulled out her sword and stabbed it through his neck. He clutched at the blade as if he would be able to get it out and survive but his hands fell to the ground, limp and he gave up. His eyes glazed over and he tried to speak but was only able to mouth the words, I'm sorry, Kiyosato…

Kenshin was trying to finish his battle and Kaoru just watched dazedly, not wanting to interfere but not wanting to take her eyes away either.

Kenshin attacked, and even with his bad shoulder the man blocked him. But now Kenshin wasn't going to hold back. He pushed his strength into his sword and forced the man's sword away and dug his own deep into the man's side. Heis eyes widened at the pain, more blood gushed out and he stood there with shock and pain writen clearly across his face.

They were standing a bit far apart now after Kenshin had jumped back and they stared at each other, Kenshin gripping his sword, his opponent clutching his side.

The voices of Kaoru, Katsura, and Iisuka rang in Kenshin's head for some reason.

_W-What is this man's name?_

_His name is Kiyosato…and it is unfortunate that he must die, for it was arranged for him to be married in a few springs. He's only two years older than you at the most, but he's pretty good. However, unforgivable deeds must be disposed of and cast out of our memories if we ever hope to make this city a happy one. _

Kiyosato stared angrily at Kenshin, not looking away, trying to catch his breath. The same confident thoughts buzzed in his mind loud and clear.

_I am not going to die…I refuse to die…I won't let him kill me…For her…I will live…we will marry…We will live together…That is why I am doing this…For her…To support her…I won't die!_

Kiyosato winced as he got back into stance as Kenshin had waited for him to do. This was it. Determination was set in their minds and they lunged at each other. Kiyosato was going to cut his head clean off, he would do it to save his life to make her happy.

Kenshin was going to tear him apart. He would do it for his boss, his city, his partner…though he didn't exactly know why…still…

One inch separated them from the other's blade…Time stopped…Kenshin's sword was right on target, Kiyosato couldn't dodge it and hit at the same time…But Kenshin could. And he did.

Kenshin's sword tore through Kiysato's chest while he also got out of the way of Kiyosato's fatality attempt. Or so he thought, until he felt a stinging pain on his left cheek, then a flow of a sticky liquid run down his face to his neck. His eyes were wide. No one had ever struck him the tiniest bit except for his master, the strongest man in the world.

Kiyosato fell to the ground and his blood spilled all over the place around him, "To…moe…I…I failed…please try…to…forgive me…Tomoe…Tomoe!" He reached out to a pomegranite blossom in front of him, envisioning his bride-to-be…maybe he wouldn't die…if he could just get to her first. But his vision darkened and he had no strength left to even crawl. He let his face hit the ground and eternal rest claim him, pleading for the forgiveness of the one he was supposed to marry…

Kenshin put his hand up to his face and touched the cut on his wound. He looked at the red on his hand to be sure that he had really been cut. It was unbelievable.

Katsura and Iisuka came out of the shadows now.

"Well, Kenshin, looks like you have your first scar. I can't believe he actually managed to mark you. I guess he was pretty good after all." Iisuka said to him, getting ready to clean up the mess.

"No he wasn't," Kenshin told him, "Just full of spite…"

Kaoru rushed to his side and wiped the blood from his face with her bare hands, "Does it hurt? He was stubborn. More than mine…You should have let me fight him, I would have been the one to get hurt, not you…"

"No…I'm fine, just…just leave it…" He turned his face away from her, angry that they had to see him actually get marked. His ears felt hot from either frustration or embarassment…or both.

"Well," Katsura began, "I am pleased. You are both very skilled. We'll clean this up, you guys go on back to your room, clean up, and we'll keep in touch…"

the next day

In a restaurant. A woman sat weeping at the table, her friend holding onto her hands, deeply sorry. The night before, her fiance was found dead with her hankerchief bloodstained and tied around his sword where he had put it the night she gave it to him and he left to get some money for the wedding. It was undoubtably Kiyosato because everyone knew they were to be married and when they found the hankerchief with her name embroidered on it, it was sure…

"What will I do?" She weeped.

Months passed, and Kaoru and Kenshin we given plenty of assignments. They fulfilled them all. But everytime Kenshin would kill a man his wound would open up again and start to bleed. Kaoru told him not to worry, that it was just having trouble healing. But a year later, that was getting hard to believe.

AN: Ok, thanx for sticking with me, this'll be a long ficcie…Anywayyawn i'm gonna go make me some lunch…say goodbye, Chibi…

Chibi: AAHHH! I wish you didn't have to go, but BYE-BYE!


	8. White Plum and Red Rain

AN: Ok, guest speaker: Manek! So how's carso? I see he isn't with you today.

Manek: I know…he was feeling a little…blue…And i think i'll stay with green or red for now…poor little lobster…he didn't do anything to the world, why does the world do this to _him_?

Me: Well, i hope he feels better soon. So how did you like my story?

Manek: Are you kidding! The bloody parts were so necro fart!

Me: Yeah, but were there any questions that you had in mind?

Manek: is this chapter going to be bloody! Aw, i love the gruesome stuff. You should stick some zombies in this story, that would totally rule!

Me: Uhhhh, i don't think so, Manek.

Manek: Well…i guess that's orange juice…

Me: Oh! There was one review that i just got. Sorry, i won't put flipping ANs in the middle of a chapter anymore. Unless i forget. If i do, burn me. I give you the permission. How can you pass that up, right? except if it's something that's like explaining my madness, you know i do that cuz if i were reading it _i_ would be confused…but i don't think i've done that in a while.

Manek: I think you should give us the rest of the story, like, now, so i can go get begingered…I'm so 'effing' depressed right now…

Me: What! Why!

Manek: Cuz you won't put any 'effing' zombies in!

Me: Oh, Manek…Non-necro! ok, here's the story…oh and, uh…disclaimer…duh…

(-hey, manek, who cut your hair?

**-**i did!

were you bejingered?

um, maybe, i don't remember…anyway, shush, i'm trying to read!)

part 8: Red Rain and White Plum

A year and a half passed since the fight with Kiyosato and the other guard. Kaoru and Kenshin had changed a lot. For instance, Kenshin actually talked to Kaoru a little. He didn't know what his feelings were for her, but they were strange. He didn't think it was love, but the desire to protect her, at least.

Kaoru had changed more though. The whole assassin role was really sinking in now. She got much stronger too, maybe because she watched Kenshin fight sometimes and wanted so much to be as powerful as him that she tried to be.

Her eyes were no longer as soft as when they first met either, but cold, piercing silver. Full of hate that was rising up in her from god knows where. Maybe it was the fact that Kenshin was too stupid to know that she loved him and he couldn't see this plain fact. Or perhaps it was that she thought doing this assassin thing would help her, but it just made her a murderer, cold-blooded and never thinking twice about her victims.

Kenshin stood back up straight and flicked his blade, ridding it of the newly spilt blood. Kaoru did the same. Fifteen bodies lay around them, bloody and mutated.

He then felt the familiar sensation of his wound opening. It didn't really bleed anymore but still, it was getting a bit old, he thought.

Kaoru looked over at him and smiled, "Well, that was a piece of cake. Shall we head home now? Iisuka should be here soon to clean this up…" She looked around, not seeing him pop out of the shadows as usual to clean the mess they had made.

She held out her hand but she still hadn't been able to ever get him to take it. Tonight was no different; he just walked past her, expecting her to follow him. She did.

They walked past a few quiet houses, hoping no one would see them in their bloody state so they didn't have to kill anyone else. It began to sprinkle and they were actually glad for it might help soothe them of the blood that was caked to their clothing.

Then they sensed a ki. A fighting ki. They knew it was an assassin. Kenshin got tense, ready to protect Kaoru from whoever attacked them. Suddenly a man shot out of the shadows as soon as he realized that Kenshin and Kaoru noticed him. He aimed to kill Kenshin but when Kenshin blocked him he jumped up onto the roof of the house that they had been walking by.

"Kaoru, stay down here," Kenshin ordered, "I'll take care of this scum…" He too jumped up onto the roof. Kaoru could no longer see what was going on for the roof was too high. But she could hear that all too familiar sound of metal on metal. She heard the assassin grunt in frustration and then Kenshin screamed in anger.

Kaoru was somehow able to hear the tearing of flesh and the spilling of blood. Probably because she was so used to hearing it by her own blade. Her heart skipped a beat as she stood there in front of the house and closed her eyes. Blood sprayed over the edge of the roof like red rain and hit her in the face. She nervously licked her lips, disgusting as it would be to anyone else, and tasted the blood that had covered her. She knew Kenshin's blood had not spilled.

He jumped off the roof and landed next to her. She opened her eyes and embraced him. What had she worried about? He was a god. How could she have thought that he had…? But she didn't care as she hugged him to make sure he was, for sure, alive and in her arms.

"Next time, fight on the ground where I can see you…" She told him.

"Heh…" He let her hold on to him, though he thought it was silly for her to have been so worried. But, really, she had just suddenly realized that she loved Kenshin with all of her heart. He was all she had in this dark life that she chose. He alone lighted her way and kept her slightly sane. If he died, she realized, she would die also. But still, he seemed unhappy all the time, and that was also killing her.

She released himand gave him some space. The body of thenow dead assassin was heard falling onto his face and then he rolled off the top of the building, landing between Kenshinad Kaoru.

The light drizzle started to turn to a pouring rain and she turned away from him, letting the rain splash her face and wash away the foul blood that lingered on her taste buds. She cupped her hands letting them fill with water and drank it to wash her mouth out.

Then, through the rain, they were hit in the face by a rush of a pleasing aroma. It was white plum perfume. She spun around trying to see where it came from and saw Kenshin staring uncertainly at woman. She was holding an umbrella staring also at the two of them. Blood had splattered on her umbrella as well and even a bit on her kimono. How did Kaoru not notice her before? She must have been there the whole time if the blood got on her. Then she noticed that the woman was actually walking forward. She must have been in the shadows before.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru said, hoping he wouldn't chicken out, "We have to kill her…"

Kenshin looked at Kaoru.

"She saw…You even got blood on her… Kenshin… Kenshin, you know the rules…Kensh—"

Then the woman began to speak and Kaoru stopped short, "You…you made it rain…blood…A bleeding rain…"

Kenshin gasped when she said this. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. He was surprised. Then he realized that he felt the blood trickling down his face, his cut had opened and started to bleed badly.

The woman noticed this, "Oh, you're hurt…I can…help you…" She started to stagger faster towards him but fell forward, unconscious. Kenshin ran to her and broke her fall by catching her.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted at him, "She has to die! Do it now so she won't feel it! You won't feel as bad!"

"I can't do that," He said.

"Why not!" Kaoru screamed, "Anyone who witnesses an assassination must be eliminated! It's the rules! She has…to…die…!" Kaoru's eyes were watering, and thanks to the rain no one could notice the fresh tears that began flowed down her face.

This woman was stealing her Kenshin's heart, she could tell. All of her chances of gaining his love were over because this angel had to drop into his life. She was beautiful, she even offered to help…What more could you ask for when you first met someone?

Kenshin picked the woman up and carried her over and stood next to Kaoru, "We should take her back with us…"

Kaoru looked down at her feet in surrender and then started walking back as if this had never happened, just like they were before the assassin came…

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" He called after her. But she just sped up. So he went after her, not knowing what to say, so saying nothing.

The next morning. Kenshin rushed out of his room. Where did they put her? He had dreamed that he actually killed her last night while she was sound asleep on her plain little futon in one of many rooms.

But then he saw her, carrying a tray of tea, "Oh, good morning…You are the one that found me, are you not? The red haired man?"

"Ah--… y-yes, I…" He was a loss for words. She was still alive, they spared her.

"I'm sorry you had to…I'm sorry I burdened you last night…I was so drunk…I'm sorry…um…My name is Tomoe. They told me your name was…Kenshin…right?" She smiled at him and continued on her way with the tea.

"…drunk…" He said to himself. She must not have remembered what had happened at all…

Meanwhile, Kaoru lay on her futon, pretending to be asleep still as Kenshin walked back in. He obviously knew she was awake but didn't say anything. He knew she didn't feel right about the whole letting Tomoe live thing, so he pretended he went back to sleep as well…

Tomoe went outside to wash some laundry for the kind woman that let her stay. But as she sat down beside the wash tub a boy stepped out of the shadows.

"Tomoe-chan! I can't believe I finally found you!" He smiled, wide-eyed.

She looked up with a gasp.

AN: Ok, there you have it. My short sweet little chappie about…Tomoe…grrr…sorry, i just don't really like her…in fact…i hate her…

Manek: Yeah, she seems suspicious.

Me: Well, I guess we'll see you guys next time!

Manek: Salad! Oh, and RELEASE YOUR FREAK!


	9. Tomoe

AN: Hi, guys. It's me again. I hope you hated my last chapter cuz it deserved it. I mean, Tomoe was in it and i don't have much experience working with her. I must say, I hate Tomoe. Anyway, here's our guest speaker. It's Alex Ebert!

Alex: …Hi, everyone…

Me: Alex, what's the matter?

Alex: I got dumped…again.

Me: You poor thing. It must suck knowing Justin is married and you can't keep a girl.

Alex: All my ex-girlfriends in black jettas are driving me insane…

Me: Aw…Well, hold on to your sanity just until i finish my um…interview or whatever you wanna call it. So, uh, what did you think?

Alex: Ugh…I think I was a good boyfriend! … What did I do wrong? Wasn't I the perfect guy? I'm funny, I'm…fun…Maybe I'm not…Maybe it's my hair…Maybe she doesn't like it so she doesn't like _me_. Man, I hate girls like that…

Me: Alex?

Alex: Oh, I'm sorry…I just…I'm so damn lonely…

Me: Well, yes, we understand, but, uh…About a certain review I got…I deeply appreciate your constructive critisism, i really do, y'know. I needed someone to say it sucked, but really, Dragontales? I don't think my story is quite like dragontales in any way. Nope, not really…hmmm…well, except maybe the fact that there is a guy and a girl in both plots…However i do believe Kaoru and Kenshin are a bit older than the kids in dragontales…other than that i don't think there is anything. Any dragons…mmmm…nope…Uh, pretty rainbows…Hmm…no…shrugs Can't see a thing…

Alex: Her baby sister liked dragontales…Man! I'm falling apart! I'm never going out with a girl that has a black jetta again! They're cursed!

Me: Well, guys…here's the story in case you're sick of hearing about other people's problems…I shoulda picked a happy person…sigh…

Disclaimer: I got nuthin to do with the creation of the Kenshin series so…yea…you get it…and, btw, The whole Alex getting dumped thing came from the Black Jettas song by his band ImaRobot about how all his girlfriends are attacking him with their Black Jettas. I have no idea whether he has recently been dumped or if his girlfriend's little sister liked dragontales…or even if she had a little sister for that matter… Enjoy, or don't enjoy…just read please…

Part Nine: Tomoe

The first snow rolled in and covered the ground in a thin sheet of white.

Kaoru lay depressed on her futon for the next few days, saying that it was because her ribs were starting to bother her a bit, which they were after the big fight she had the other day. She had been punched in the ribs and it sent pain all through her body. Kenshin stepped in and helped even though she was really mad at him after that.

Kenshin knew this wasn't the real reason she wouldn't get up but he didn't know why she was still holding such a grudge about Tomoe being left alive. It's not like she was a threat or anything. She was now working here as a new waitress, the few other ones relieved at the slightly less amount of work they had to do.

"I don't know what I'm doing…" Kaoru whispered to herself sadly, "I'm embarrassing myself by laying here day after day…I gotta get up and take a nice bath or something…Tomoe may have taken Kenshin but I can't make him my reason for living, not when he isn't there for me…"

Kaoru rolled over and winced at her newly bruised ribs. They may not have been why she was unable to get up but they still hurt. It was funny…They only started hurting the night Tomoe fell into Kenshin's arms…Maybe…was her pathetic I-never-want-to-get-up-'cause-I'm-so-depressed stage making her incredibly weak?

She stood up and walked out of the room, heading down the hall to the bathroom. She made herself a fire for some hot water then went back inside to take her bath.

The steamy water felt good and soothed her aching parts. She closed her eyes. The silence made her think to herself…

Was Kenshin really in love with this Tomoe? Was he really never coming back to her? How could he do this? That Tomoe was a heartbreaker, Kaoru could tell. She had broken Kaoru's heart by stealing the one she loved and next she was going to break Kenshin's heart. Kaoru didn't want that…Her poor unsuspecting Kenshin who had no knowledge on how to love, who to love, anything about love…

But if Tomoe didn't break his heart he would be happy. They would get married and live together. They would have children and raise a family together…They would be a couple madly in love with each other and live happily ever after while she rotted in self-pity…

Kaoru opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She watched as the ceiling was blurred by her tears and felt her tears spill over her eye lids, her eyes stinging at the beckoning of more tears…

Suddenly she saw her father, there, right in front of her. He grabbed her chin firmly and stared her straight in the eyes.

"Kaoru," He said strictly, "Stop crying. Right now. You're my tough little girl. Get a hold of yourself."

Her eyes widened and he faded away into the steam around her. From that steam came her mother's voice, "Kaoru, be strong. You can't let a man get in between you and living, Kaoru. Kaoru, cheer up…" Kaoru briefly saw her smiling face but it was gone just as quick as her father's was.

Kaoru nodded and smiled slightly, ridding the rest of her tears by letting them fall and she closed her eyes again, soon after falling asleep…

When Kaoru awoke, there was no more steam and the water wasn't even hot anymore. Her fingers were pruny though, so she decided to get out of the bath…

When she was dressed she left the bath house with her wet towel, her damp hair resting over her right shoulder, black and somehow elegant…

Kaoru was walking back to her room when Tomoe walked past her, "Oh, um, pardon me, but where should I put these kimonos?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, um, you don't work here?" Tomoe blushed.

"Well, I'm an assassin here, Tomoe…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know there were women--oh, you know my name?"

"Yes…" Kaoru said then walked away…

Kenshin walked into the room to see Kaoru sitting on her futon, leaning against the wall, asleep. This surprised him because it reminded him of his own habit of sleeping sitting up. It worried him. There was something in her hand. It was an ink painting, it was small compared to most portaits like it, but obviously it was of her and her parents when she was young. The elegant brush strokes showed destinct features on the faces and clothes. Kaoru's face was not that different from that of the small girl in the picture, Kenshin noticed, even though she was now very much a grown girl.

He walked up closer to get a better look at it when he saw that Kaoru's eyes were fluttering open.

"Kenshin…?" She said, fully awakening, "Ahem, erm, sorry, I fell asleep…"

"Is…Is that what your parents looked like?" Kenshin asked, trying not to sound too nosy.

"Um, yes, my mother hired an artist to paint a few portraits of us one year. He did a couple small ones and a large one. My mother said he had very reasonable prices for his work. I didn't even know what that meant when she said it, but I bragged about the man to all of my friends. He was such a nice guy…" She looked like she was trying to smile, but just couldn't.

"Um…Well, your mother was very pretty…uh…I think I'll skip dinner tonight…I'm not hungry…So don't order any for me, okay?…" Kenshin was scrambling for words then decided to just drop the conversation because he was making a fool of himself. Which he never did…

For some reason he felt strange, like he was guity for something. He had a strange feeling that he hurt Kaoru in some way…But how? He couldn't understand himself. He was always confusing himself, and it was frustrating.

As he sat down on his futon Kaoru said, "Niether am I…" And leaned back against the wall, staring at the picture and letting her eye lids slowly and reluctantly fall shut once again, as did Kenshin…

Tomoe was walking across to the bath house when a hand grabbed her from out of the shadows and pulled her into the forest.

"Tomoe-chan!" The voice of a boy exclaimed quietly, so as not to alarm any of the assassins, "God, did I miss you! Tomoe, sister, I've finally found you…"

"E-Enishi…!" Tomoe exclaimed, both surprised and frightened.

"Of course it's me! Tomoe, I've looked everywhere for you, all this time! At last…"

"Enishi, what are you doing here?"

"Well, you see, I've been working with the government to find you and now I got you back! We tracked you down and turns out you're working for an underground assassins' guild that has been searched for for years! So, come with me you have to tell my friend everything about them that you know. You will come, won't you, sister?"

"Enishi, I--…" She didn't know what to say to him. Truth is, she had been talking to the assassin that found her in the street the other day a lot and had actually taken a liking to him. She thought he would be a very intimidating person, which he was sometimes, but she found that she could, if she tried hard enough, dig out a softer character that slept deep inside him. You could almost say she could fall in love with this side…

"Sister?" Enishi put on a face that she never could resist…He was her little brother after all…

"A-Alright…Enishi…I'll go with you. But I'll warn you now: I don't know much of anything…" Tomoe said.

Kenshin awoke to the sound of frightened voices outside his room.

"Master! The new girl! She's gone! We've checked everywhere, she isn't here!" A waitress said frantically, "What if we're found out! We'll all be—"

"Don't even think like that, don't worry either. We'll find her…I'll have Battousai take care of it. He found her in the first place after all…" With that said Hiko burst in the room but Kenshin was already standing and ready to leave.

"I heard, sir…" He said, starting to walk past him.

"Wait!" Kaoru shouted, stumbling off of her futon, "I'm going too, sir! I found her with him! If he needs backup he'll have it, we could be dealing with the government here, sir!" Kenshin glared at her. He could do it himself, why does she always have to butt in?

"Good, go on, track her down, and bring her back. If we don't get her back…we're through, found out, dead…"

Kenshin nodded and the two assassins walked out only to be stopped by the waitress that was frantically reporting to Hiko a few moments previously.

"You should start by the bath house, she never returned from her bath last night…" She told them and Kaoru smiled gently at her.

"Thank you," She said, "Don't worry, we won't let anything bad happen. We'll bring her back and everyone will be able to stop holding their breaths. In fact, stop holding them right now. There's nothing you have to fear…" She tried comforting the woman and then turned and left behind Kenshin.

When they got outside they stood immobile and looked around, searching for anything obvious before they started their search. This was a test. Their was no time for Hiko and Katsura to do the dirty work. They had to stay insolated from anywhere with connections to the government in case Tomoe _did_ rat them out. So Kaoru and Kenshin were put to a test that would jepordize everything they were loyal to if they failed. They couldn't fail.

"She obviously escaped into the forest," Kenshin practically whispered, "There's no where else…"

Kaoru nodded, silently dreading the outcome if they couldn't find her. Images of returning to see everyone dead and the government officials standing there with their flashy modern guns and equipment. Shaking her head she forced the images out of her mind and walked over to forest.

"I-Is that…Are those footprints?" Kaoru asked. Even though it was broad daylight it was hard to tell.

That was another factor against them. It was the beginning of the day. Night and the shadows that they were so dependant on were quite far away. There was no time to wait for them. They had to act now, not then…

Looking closely, Kenshin noticed that they were. There were quite a few. There was definately more than one person.

"Kidnapped?" Kaoru asked to herself. They were unsure but they followed the few footprints that were scattered here and there throughout the forest where the earth was soft or a bit of snow managed to get in through the thick green of the trees.

About a half an hour into the forest they found a towel hung on a tree. She must have left it behind because she wanted to be found and left it as a clue, she thought no one would find it all this way into the wood, or it was a burden to bring along with her…No matter what reason was hers for leaving it, they knew they were at least on the right track.

They followed her trail, if you would call it a trail, all the way to a clearing in the forest. There was a cabin resting silently in the far end of the clearing. Since there were no trees here sheltering the ground, it was covered in thin snow and many footprints were visable now, Kenshin and Kaoru grew nervous. Either, there was a person or two that like to walk around back and forth, or there were several people here, all gathered to this one secret place.

"This is bad, Kenshin," Kaoru muttered. If Tomoe had spilled about the organization, they were through. Unless the two of them managed to kill all of the men in there. But no doubt there were others who already knew that were informing everyone in the government right now.

"This is really bad…I told you to kill her, didn't I?"

"Don't worry…" He said clearly, and calmly, "We'll listen to what they're doing and then move on from there…"

They moved in closer to the building and listened at the door. They heard voices but only three. The footprints must not have been from today. Last night, perhaps. This gave Kaoru a sense of relief.

"So, Tomoe, you have information to give us, why don't you talk?"

"Yeah, come on, Sis, just tell them where you were, what you saw. You won't be blamed or anything if that's what you're worried about."

"I…I didn't…Well, I just worked for them in the kitchens. That's where I stayed, I didn't see anyone or anything. Please, you…you have to believe me. I don't know any faces or names, I'm sorry…"

Kenshin blinked. She wasn't telling them anything. She was loyal to him. They _must_ have kidnapped her…He was glad that she was acting trustworthy. He still didn't know if he trusted her, of course, but she was probably _trustworthy_…

There was silence. Why was there silence? What was happening? Kaoru tensed. Something was going on…

"Enishi, go, go into the forest and take cover. We need you on the look out now."

"What! Why _now_? She's _my_ sister! I want to be with her! You can't throw me out now!"

"Enishi, I sense someone is watching us. Go, now…" 

"Argh! Fine! But you owe me big time!" Enishi growled. They heard him stomping over to the door and hid against opposite sides of the building. He stormed out and walked over to the forest angrily, past Kaoru. Kaoru jumped up and grabbed him, covering his mouth and holding onto him tightly around his arms and waist.

Kenshin swiftly made his way to Kaoru and her captive, "We'll need to tie him up and make sure he isn't heard, or we'll need to kill him," Kenshin whispered to her. Enishi struggled furiously, eyes wide with fear and muffled screams not getting past Kaoru's hand, tight on his mouth so he couldn't even bite her away.

"You can't kill him, he's just a child!" Kaoru whispered frantically back at him. Enishi's breath was growing fast as his eyes swiveled from place to place, to see where he would go if her got free and how he would get free in order to get there.

Suddenly they heard a loud slap come from in the cabin and a thud on the floor along with a wimper, indicating that Tomoe had hit the ground after a hard blow.

Enishi was struggling to get free with all his might upon hearing this but Kaoru tightened her grip even more, "Shh…We won't hurt you, promise…We'll help your sister…"

Kenshin's eyes widened as he looked from the cabin door to Kaoru. She was never simpathetic to Tomoe. She hated her. Why was she offering to help her now?

"Cooperate with us and we will make sure you are both safe. That guy in there is a bad guy, Enishi, he'll hurt her and he'll hurt you. He already hit her."

Enishi's eyes squinted as he tried to prevent tears from escaping, but to no avail. They spilled over his closing eyelids and fell onto Kaoru's cold hand.

"Sorry, kid…" Kenshin murmered as he ripped Enishi's sleeve and bound his hands with it. Then he ripped it again and bound his legs. Tearing a final piece, Kenshin gagged Enishi. They set him down against the side of the building as the shoji door slid open and the man walked out. Tomoe was still lying on the floor inside, a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She lifted her head and watched as he walked out.

"Enishi! Where are you! You lied to me, Enishi! Your sister is useless!"

Kaoru glimpsed at Enishi and saw the fear in his wide eyes. She jumped up and lunged at the government official, noticing that he was quite large, more than she had expected, at least. He turned around soon enough to dodge her attack. But she charged at him again. He just punched her aside, knocking her onto her back, and, seeing Enishi, gagged and bound at the side of the building, pulled out a knife.

"Your sister's well-hidden dagger, Enishi! Watch as I kill your friends with it!"

Enishi struggled hard against his restraints but couldn't get free. His voice wasn't as muffled as it was when when Kaoru's hand was over so his screams were heard and the man smirked at his pathetic sight. Turning his focus back to Kaoru, gasping and clutching her stomach, after having the wind knocked out of her.

Kaoru got back up and got into stance. She attacked him once again but he dodged to the side at the last second and swung to strike Kaoru in the heart with his short blade. But Kaoru was fast too, and she managed to escape the attack, she thought.

But she didn't. A sharp pain, beyond any other she had ever felt woke her from her battle daze. It was the sharpest pang of pain in her side. She looked down and saw a smooth black handle sticking out of her side, near but just above her hip. It wasn't stuck all the way in but blood was trying to make it's way out of the wound, pouring out around the silver knife.

The man was watching her with a smirk before he grabbed her and pulled her closer so he could pull it out. He shoved her away and she landed a good few feet away, clutching her freshly made wound. It bled badly all over her and around her, leaving red stained snow where it used to be white.

Kenshin's eyes were staring as he was paralized at the side of the building. His eyes were as wide as Enishi's, and then he snapped. He screamed in anger and threw himself with his sword unsheathed already, he seemed to be in a berserker mode. He passed Kaoru lying limp on the ground, her breathing quick, bleeding so much from such a small wound. He was also blocked by the man as Kaoru had been. The bloody dagger in his hand made Kenshin even more furious.

At this point Tomoe was sitting up and watching nervously. She didn't want Kenshin to die. Not when they were as close as they were. He was the only person she had trusted since Kyosato…well…She couldn't see Kenshin die too. Not everyone she cared for. Enishi she hoped was safe, hiding in the woods, running for help.

She watched the battle get heated. She decided to get up and go stop it. If she didn't Kenshin would surely die. She ran over to them, the events happening were a blur. She didn't know what was going on but she kept her eye on the man from the government. When she saw her knife flash in the sun towards Kenshin she paniced. There was nothing else to do, so she did it…

Kenshin swung his attacks furiously, until suddenly he felt his sword pierce flesh. His attacking stopped and he focused his eyes. He saw…Tomoe…She had a sword stuck in her upper back…his sword. How did his sword…?

Kenshin saw the man he was trying to kill pinned to Tomoe on his own sword and, as he realized what he had done, time froze…

AN: Sorry it was so long, guys! I didn't mean it, i swear! I meant for what happened to happen, cuz, y'kno, i had things planned out, y'kno…Sorry ahead of time if you have to wait, cuz, as i explained to sum folks, i deleted the entire story and i have to re-write it, so yeah…sorry for taking so long this time, btw…Stay tuned for another exciting chapter of despair soon!

**To the Reviewers**: I gotta thank you so much, I mean, this is the first, like, epic ficcie I wrote. It may not be close epic, but it's the longest one I ever wrote. So even if you say it sucked, i dont care as long as you give me some advice. Saying it's like dragontales isn't good advice, i must say. Those of you that have been reviewing from the very beginning, you're the best, thanx! See you soon, i swear, i already started re-typing the next chappie!


	10. Kaoru

AN: BECAUSE it was such short notice, i was unable to get a guest speaker. I'm sorry, cuz i KNOW you love the best rockers of all and what they have to say when i generously allow them to speak with me to you! No matter HOW annoying! jk…anyhoo, might as well get on with the story so i can ATONE for the time i spent typing up the last chapter for ya. So…yeah…oh, and, for those who were worried about the K&K relationship, just read on, you have nothing to fear, trust me,…the story draws to a close as i get sick of trying to remember wut's supposed to happen…

Disclaimer: Don't tell me you're stupid, now…tell me, wut is a disclaimer?

Part Ten: Kaoru

Kenshin stared at the blood red scene before him. The man from the government was laying on the ground near Tomoe, an ocean of blood surrounding them. Kaoru also seemed to be in the same predicament. Kenshin couldn't bear the sight of Tomoe lying dead at his feet and started to rush towards Kaoru.

But Tomoe grabbed his ankle and he fell over, landing next to her, his throat was dry and he was breathing fast. She was still alive. But he couldn't say anything to her. Nothing. Somehow, though, she could.

"I—Oh, I'm sorry…" She was barely able to say it, the huge opening in her chest that led to her back…She grabbed the dagger that was rightfully hers from its landing point on the ground and pressed it into Kenshin's face, making his scar into a complete "X" shape. The whole thing was bleeding furiously now, blood dripped down to his neck and he watched her die, slowly, her eyes not even closing all the way. They remained staring up at him, not looking away. Her body was getting cold, his arm agains her's. She still stared at him, she would never look away, it seemed. He didn't like it, he didn't want her watching him like that. She would haunt him with her gaze. She wasn't going to look away.

Kenshin fell backwards as he tried to crawl away and he scrambled to his feet, making his way to Kaoru. He knelt by her side and started to lift her tenderly. Her blood stained his clothes, but he didn't care. She was still warm, which meant she was still alive, blood still flowed in her veins. Her eyes were closed and she had an expression of grief plastered on her delicate face.

"A…Akage…" She stuttered quietly.

"Kaoru, you're…!" He was on the verge of breaking down, all of this…It was too much, "Um…Just…Don't talk, okay…Save your strength…"

"It's a…a lotta…a lotta blood, isn't it…?" She winced in pain, "It hurts more than a few broken ribs…And they still hurt on top of this…Uhhh…" She looked over to the building where Enishi had been. He wasn't there, his bindings were on the ground. Kenshin whirled around with Kaoru in his arms. She had passed out again. But Kenshin saw Enishi, weeping over his sister's body, cradling her in his arms, rocking back and forth…

"Sis…Why, Sis…Nooo…Why Tomoe?" He sent a death glare Kenshin's way, "I thought she wasn't going to get hurt!" He was in a rage that Kenshin couldn't do anything about as he suddenly dropped his sister gently and ran off into the forest.

Kenshin was worried about this, but had no choice but to go back to Hiko and tell him what had happened. Enishi would surely tell the government about all this. That meant they had to get out now, as soon as possible. His mind switched to the waitress as he rushed back with Kaoru in his arms. Everything Kaoru had told her turned out to be lies…All this pain was for nothing…

Kaoru was dreaming of blood. So much blood. She saw it, she smelled it, she tasted it…Her dreams were polluted with it as she felt pangs of pain once and a while.

Kaoru felt a sharp stab in her side and forced her eyes to flutter open. But she couldn't see much, it was dark, her vision was blurred. She felt strong arms around her. She smelled something new, something that wasn't blood. Then she felt the arms set her down on a soft bed.

Kaoru tried to struggle but she couldn't move. She thought she heard someone say something but couldn't make it out. There were others. Something was poured down her throat. It tasted horrible. She scrunched up her face and swung her arms around her furiously, trying to push the people away, only to send more pain coarsing through her body. She winced and felt a soft hand on her forehead. It was cold, Kaoru swatted at the figures around her again.

Suddenly Kaoru felt weak. Whatever was poured down her throat must have been a poison. She felt her thoughts slip from her and her muscles going limp. She couldn't move, she couldn't see…She fell into an unpeaceful oblivion…

Kaoru awoke to stare into an unfamiliar ceiling. There was something heavy on her forehead. It was making something drip down her temples into her hair as well. She realized that it was a wet cloth. She reached up with limp arms to pull it off and, with difficulty, sat up straight. She looked around. Where was she? Was she kidnapped? This was bad…Where was Kenshin? She had to get out…

She managed to stand up and for a minute she thought she was going to pass out because everything went black and her head throbbed. She swayed on her feet but forced herself to stay conscious. She walked through this strange house until she found the door that led to outside. She looked around. She was in the middle of the country. She saw the beginnings of quite a large vegetable garden. There in the middle of it, working dedicatedly, was a man with bright red hair. She ran up to him, "Kenshin?"

He spun around to face her, "What are you doing out of bed? You're wounded!"

"What?" She asked confused. That's when she looked down at the bloody cloth wrapped arund her waist.

"That Megumi works for us now, along with the Sanosuke guy…Megumi visits often to check on you. She had to give you some medicine to make you sleep sometimes because you went a little crazy. I really think you should get back in—"

Kaoru stopped him by pulling him into a gentle hug, "You've been there for me. You saved me didn't you…?"

Kenshin's heart was beating fast at her touch and he got nervous by her hold on him. He said calmly, "You should be in bed…"

She let go of him and didn't look up at him, just stared at the ground and said, "I don't care what you say anymore, Kenshin…I…trust you…" And she turned from him and went back inside. She laid down on her futon, still not knowing where she was, but not caring, for she trusted Kenshin, and she knew that she was safe.

When Kaoru woke once again she saw Kenshin sitting not far from her by a fire that had a pot over it, eating rice, an extra bowl of it next to him.

"Kenshin…"

He didn't look toward her but merely said, "Megumi says that you are improving. Would you like some rice?"

"Kenshin, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked with a frightened tone on her voice.

"Nothing, you need rest. Do you want any rice?" Kenshin asked almost lifelessly.

"Kenshin, please come here…" She waited for him to get up reluctantly and sit down next to her futon.

"What…what happened, Kenshin? Where are we?"

"We had to scatter. We were moved here disguised as a couple and will live as farmers. We can only go to town to sell or buy goods. When Tomoe died Enishi ran off and may have told the whereabouts of Hiko's headquarters. We're in hiding now…"

Kaoru looked down and she knew Kenshin was not looking at her. Why wouldn't he…? "Kenshin?"

He didn't move, "Kenshin, look at me."

He finally looked up, "Tell me, what is wrong, Kenshin…"

"Tomoe is dead, you almost died…there's so much pain…" He looked away again. He felt something strange. He didn't feel pained by Tomoe's death that much anymore, but he felt like he was being ripped apart by something.

_I think…I think I'm in love with her…_ He thought to himself. He didn't want to look at her because she told him again…That she trusted him. He didn't want to hurt her. That was the last thing in the world he wanted. She seemed so frail compared to him. He was a steely statue that no one could understand, while she was so open.

"Kaoru, I don't want you to get hurt. I was scared that day…You were talking as if you would never talk again. It frightened me. You…you can't die, Kaoru …I wouldn't be able to survive it…The sorrow…and the…the pain…"

Kenshin, the man Kaoru loved, was he really saying this? She could hardly believe it. She cupped her hand on the side of his face where there was no cloth that covering his newly made cross shaped wound. She then let her hand slide to his neck and gently pulled him so he leaned closer to her.

"Kaoru…" He quietly murmered her name, unsure of what he should do. Should he resist, or let her do whatever she was going to do?

"Shh…" She was staring into his golden eyes and his gaze was locked on her silver eyes. They were entrancing. He didn't know what she was going to do but he couldn't stop her, he couldn't do anything but sit and wait. He was paralized.

Kaoru leaned forward slightly. Since he wasn't backing away, she decided to do it. But she was afraid…She stopped short, before kissing him and only let her lips brush his gently. She waited to see what he would do, but he didn't do anything, only sat there, staring at her with softer eyes than she had ever seen from him.

Kenshin wanted her to kiss him now, but he didn't kiss her, he just waited until she kissed him instead. He was letting her kiss him because he realized that she was what he had wanted, the answer to his confusion from the very start.

Kaoru grabbed onto his lips with her own and pulled back gently, then paused again, searching his face for any kind of sign. There was none. So she went in again, the same as before, locking her lips onto his only slightly and then trying to bring his lips back with her's. This time he kissed her back, mimicking the pattern she had created by pressing his lips against hers and then attempting to pull them back gently. Their eyes were closed and they were locked together by their lips.

Kenshin put his hand on her waist as she had turned in her futon to face him and she wound her arms around his neck, not stopping the kiss it had taken her so long to get. And suddenly they were hungry for each other. Kenshin decided to deepen the kiss and Kaoru followed him in doing so. They explored each other's mouths, turning their heads from side to side. They kissed each other feverishly, not wanting to let go, ever.

Kaoru unwound her arms from his shoulders and let them slip to his loose gi. Her hands slid along his warm skin and massaged his back. His gi fell from his shoulders and left them bare. Kaoru guided his hand into the flap of her yukata by her own shoulder.

Then suddenly Kenshin pulled away and they panted for air as Kenshin said, "No, you're still hurt…" And he stood to get her bowl of rice. He set it down next to her and went ouside the small house. Kaoru looked down solemnly before she decided to get up and follow him. He was standing outside the door, staring up at the stars, gi back up on his shoulders.

She felt the pang of tears on her eyes and forced them to stay behind her eyelids when she closed them tightly. She walked up behind Kenshin and wrapped her arms around his stomach, resting her head on the nape of his neck. He didn't move, just bowed his head and closed his eyes.

"Don't trust me, Kaoru…" He said, almost in a whisper. She gasped and the tears threatened her once again, "Please…It'll only get you hurt. Tomoe trusted me, too…and I killed her…"

"I'm not Tomoe…" Kaoru said to him, "I can trust you without getting hurt…I…I can…" Her voice cracked and she started to cry, unwillingly, but non-stop. The tears flowed into his flaming red hair and soaked into his clothing.

Kenshin sighed gently, pained by her words and by his as well. He didn't know what to do anymore. Should he love her? Should he trust her as she trusted him? But as he thought this he realized…he _did_ trust her…He knew that she would never betray him or try to stab him in the back. As she sobbed into his chest he felt the need to take care of her, to be there for her, to open his arms for her when she needed someone to cry on like she did right now…He wanted to hold her, but he didn't want anyone else to hurt her…Was this love? he pondered silently.

But then he thought about Tomoe. Had she loved him as well? The thought was pushed to the back of his mind as he thought, _I wasn't able to protect Tomoe. I won't make the same mistake by letting Kaoru get hurt. This is true love. The love that I had for Tomoe was a fleeting hope. She couldn't have truly loved me, for I killed _her_ true love. True love can only happen once._

Kenshin turned in her arms and held her, then he kissed her forehead. His embrace was able to sooth her tears to nothing and he let her pull away from him and she ran back inside. He tried to call out to her but he couldn't so he just stood there with his mouth open in mid-speech as she turned and left him. His arms dropped to his side and he sighed again.

Kaoru laid down on her futon and tried to fall asleep before he came back in, but he burst in a few seconds after she had. She pretended she was already asleep but he knew better.

"Kaoru…" He said quietly but desperately, "I'm sorry, Kaoru…I…I'm just afraid…because…I trust you too…and I've never trusted anyone before…" He fell to his knees next to her futon and for a second she thought he was about to cry but he wasn't. She sat up and this time she took him in her arms, embracing him tightly.

"But…" She started unsurely, "I don't just trust you, Kenshin…I love you…"

He started at this and looked up at her tear streaked face. He examined her features, delicate and solemn. She seemed to be waiting for something, an answer. But he was too afraid to admit that he loved her too. So he acted on instinct. He peered into her silver orbs and couldn't resist them. He let his eyes fall to her lips and there he planted his, softly, gently, and tenderly, and he let her do the same. They fell into each other, unable hold the barriers between them. Kaoru wrapped her arms around him once again and he clutched her waist.

Her hands entwined around his neck and into his hair. She pulled at the band that held it up until it came away and she tangled her fingers in it. His right hand slid up her back to her hair and he did the same with her ribbon then let her hair fall around his hand. She moaned almost silently into him and then pulled back, gasping for air and arching her neck as he continued to plant kisses down her jaw to her collarbone. She pulled his face up to hers and kissed him again.

And again she pulled his gi away from his shoulders stroked his back. He pulled her left leg around his thigh and held her close. She pulled her right leg closer as well and sat on his lap while she grabbed his hand and guided it into her yukata. She tugged his arms out of the gi completely and they kissed deeper.

Kaoru could no longer breathe so she pulled away but Kenshin laid open mouth kisses down to her chest and she moaned, pulling him closer and encouraged him to continue. She massaged his head and tangled her hands yet again into his silky hair. Kenshin let himself fall onto the futon and then rolled over on top of Kaoru, still planting a trail of kisses down her body, though avoiding her wound, her yukata now open. She stopped him short at her stomach and whispered, "Kenshin…"

He moved back up to her face and kissed her, exploring her mouth some more. Kaoru moaned into him and held him tight against her…

When niether of them could breathe they pulled back, "Kenshin…" Kaoru spoke softly, "I…need you…Please…never leave me…" The tears that had poured down her face only minutes ago were gone and Kaoru had new confidence in her love for Kenshin.

He over again on the futon so that he laid next to her. He stared at her unreadable face as she began to fall asleep. Then, slowly, his eyes began to shut as well…

Katsura was walking up to them as they worked diligently in their garden. They turned around simultaneously as he approached and stared at him until he stopped in front of the garden now full of healthy looking plants.

"You must be moved once again. They have completely found us out and they are looking for you. As you have probably known, your features are quite noticable, Battousai. Kaoru's probably safer than you, but nevertheless, you will both be moved to Tokyo and we will cover you up with backgrounds and get you jobs, supply you with money, food, shelter…But only on one condition, or you're on your own."

"What is this condition?" Kenshin asked calmly.

"Simply put down your swords. You must never kill again. Not for glory, not for bloodlust, not for duty…Never…"

Kaoru and Kenshin looked at each other and finally Kaoru said quietly, "Agreed…" After all, they couldn't kill anyone if they wanted to live quietly. Who would they kill? And why? It wouldn't be so hard.

"Good, then you should come with me so we can take you to Tokyo. Oh, and by the way, Takani Megumi and Sagara Sanosuke will be going to Tokyo with you. They are the only ones. We are scattering all of our assassins and workers to different places in Japan, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and so on…But that's all you need to know right now. We must hurry. Gather your things and we leave now."

Kenshin sat with Kaoru sleeping on his shoulder in a train booth across from Sanosuke and Megumi. Megumi had checked Kaoru's bandages as soon as they met each other on the train. Sanosuke shook his head at her worry and she slapped him saying that you never could be too careful and she had a nasty wound.

When the train rolled into Tokyo Katsura led them to a dojo that Kenshin and Kaoru were to live in. Megumi and Sanosuke were led to a quite large apartment and Megumi was showed to the clinic at which she were to work. Sanosuke told Katsura that he didn't need a job because he wanted to find one himself. Kaoru and Kenshin were to be dojo owners, Kaoru was to be the instructor, for Hiko didn't want Kenshin spreading his technique.

As days passed and Kaoru's Kamiya-Kasshin ryu dojo was advertised in the streets by flyers, but she didn't get any students. A murderer was wandering around Tokyo saying that he used the Kamiya-Kasshin style. He said his name was Battousai and he was destroying Kaoru and Kenshin with his impersonations.

Kaoru and Kenshin laid down one night, peering into each other's mysterious eyes. They laid facing each other, both of them laying on their sides and Kenshin put his hand on her face as she played with his red hair.

"Kenshin, we should vow."

"What?" He asked at her sudden statement.

"Well, I know you probably, just as I do, have a feeling of bloodlust now that someone is threatening the dojo…We can't kill…"

"This man, this imposter. He must die. Otherwise he shall go around and poison our names—"

"Kenshin, swear it. Swear to the great gods above that a human will never die by your hand ever again…"

And so they both made vows to atone for their past sins by protecting others and never killing another person again.

It turned out that the imposter that wa ruining the Kamiya-Kasshin style was a man by the name of Jin-E. Kaoru and Kenshin tracked him down and in the end Jin-E wound up dying by ritual suicide, unable to bear the fact that they would not kill him.

"Come on, now, Battousai, I've got your girl! Don't you want her back?" But Kaoru kicked his shin and turned in his grip then kneed him right between the legs. He grimaced and laughed, standing back upright. Kaoru and Kenshin held him off without killing him until Kenshin dilocated a joint in his arm. That's when he killed himself…

That night when Kenshin and Kaoru laid down to sleep, Kaoru was shocked to notice something. As she lay next to Kenshin and peered once again into his eyes, she noticed they were much different than the ones she was so used to.

"Kenshin…your eyes…" She whispered. They were a deep shade of violet and they were somehow kind and laughing. They weren't angry and violent pools of gold anymore…

"Your eyes as well, Kaoru, are different…" He said sleepily. And indeed, Kaoru's eyes had turned from steely silver to gentle, sapphire blue.

They slept peacefully that night. They suddenly didn't feel like assassins anymore. They felt at ease, as if they had never been assassins in the first place.

The next morning they went to town to buy food, but on the way back a boy attempted to pickpocket Kenshin, but Kenshin caught him in the process and apperently hurt the boy's pride by saying, if he needed the money that badly he could keep it. The boy lunged at Kenshin screaming all kinds of things out of rage when a girl with short inky black hair ran up to him.

"Yahiko-chan, please!" She shouted on the verge of tears, "Please, don't steal! You know I can't stand violence!"

"ARGH! Don't call me Yahiko-chan! Anything but –chan! I told you a million times! I'm not small and I'm not little! If I wanna steal so I can feed myself that's none of your damn business!"

"Look, we can both work at the Akabeko for money, Yahiko…kun! I saw that lady named Tai today and she said she would give us jobs at her restaurant!"

"I am NOT working there! She'll make me wear a goddamn ribbon in my hair! I won't!"

"Oh, Yahiko, it's better than stealing!"

Kaoru and Kenshin stood and stared as the argument continued until Tsubame got angry and walked off. Yahiko didn't even watch her go, he just crossed his arms and pouted. When he noticed the two ex-assassins staring at him he turned red yet again.

"What are you staring at!"

"I think you should come home with us. I can teach you Kamiya-Kasshin ryu! Would you like to be my student?" Kaoru asked pleasantly, seizing opportunity as quickly as possible.

Yahiko stood there with his mouth wide open, "(That was pretty random, but…)Maybe I should. I've always wanted to be stronger…Ever since my sister died. She died because I wasn't strong enough to protect her. I was such a fool…"

"Good, then you can stay in one of the spare rooms!"

"No way! I'm not gonna live with you!"

"We'll feed you!"

Yahiko sighed and followed then home. Over the next few months he trained hard and ate a lot. He grew a habit of calling Kaoru an ugly hag when he got mad at her, which would send Kaoru into a rage, leaving Yahiko in a heap on the floor and Kaoru standing over him with one of the bokkens she used, instead of swords for training, in her hand…

One night while Yahiko was visiting Tsubame at the Akabeko Kenshin and Kaoru sat down to dinner and they were quite silent. It was unnerving. When Kaoru got up to bring the dishes into the kitchen, Kenshin stopped her by grabbing her rist. He spun her around so she was facing him and stared her in the eyes.

Kaoru giggled, "What's wrong, Kenshin?"

He brushed his lips against hers and whipered into her lips, "Kaoru, will you…marry me?"

Kaoru's eyes filled with tears, "Kenshin…I…" She choked and smiled at him, "Of course I will…" He presented to her a ring that was quite simple but had surpassing beauty. She let tears flow silently down her rosy cheeks as he slipped it on her finger. Then she cupped his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers. She had been waiting for this moment for ever, and it finally came. She kissed him passionately and forgot all about the dishes.

Kaoru was finally got home from Megumi's and sat down by Kenshin to eat dinner.

"So what's wrong, Kaoru? You still look pale. In fact, you look even more pale than you did when you left…You're alright, aren't you?" Kenshin was concerned. Kaoru was sick again and that always made him nervous.

"No, no, Kenshin, I'm fine…Let's eat, shall we?" And they did. Yahiko was at the Akabeko again. He went there a lot.

After a few hours Kaoru and Kenshin were ready to go to sleep. They laid down on the futon and Kaoru peered into Kenshin's eyes. He peered into hers…

"Kaoru…What did Megumi say? I'm worried about you Kaoru…"

"Oh, Kenshin…Kenshin…I'm…I'm having your baby…!" Kaoru laughed and let tears spill from her eyes.

Kenshin gasped and smiled a wide grin and laughed with her. He then took her into his arms and kissed her deeply, "Is it for real? We…I…you…Kaoru, I love you…"

Kaoru chuckled and rolled over and laid on top of him, then cupped his face in her hands, making sure he was looking at her, "Kenshin…I love you too…Please, know that…always…" And with that she kissed him and he pushed her yukata off as she pulled him out of his. He rolled them over again and kissed her all the way down to her stomach and when he reached her stomach rested his head there, the knowledge of his child to be sending excitement through him. He kissed her flat stomach again and then brought his lips to hers………

Kenshin was tense. He could hear Kaoru screaming clearly in the next room, and heard her panting heavily in between screams. Sano and Yahiko sat rigid next to him, Tsubame was clutching tightly at the sleeve of Yahiko's gi. Everyone seemed to be figiting nervously and the fact that Megumi wouldn't allow anyone in the room with her and Kaoru was nerve racking.

Suddenly Megumi called for a large bowl of water and Kenshin rushed in the room with it as quick as possible. He set it next to Megumi and then knelt down next to Kaoru and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it tightly and he saw beads of sweat roll down her face as she shut her eyes tight and inhaled sharply. He grasped her hand with both of his and she let him, uncaring, only focusing on stopping her pain.

"Kenshin, I told you to stay out!" Megumi said, not noticing that he was ignoring her and trying the best he could to comfort his wife.

Megumi now called for towels and Sano ran in with nearly hundreds of them. Megumi complained about his carelessness but for once Sano didn't try to make a witty retort. It was probably because she was nervous herself that caused Megumi to be extra snappy this moment but it didn't matter.

"You're doing good, Kaoru, just hang in there…" Megumi muttered to Kaoru, "…Almost over, Kaoru…"

Kaoru gripped her blanket tightly with her free hand and Kenshin could smell the putrid scent of blood. He glanced briefly and quickly at the bulk of Kaoru's stomach. He clenched Kaoru's hand more tightly and his palm got as sweaty as her's was. Kenshin didn't even notice that Sano had left the room but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Kaoru was okay, and right now she didn't look okay…

Her brows were furrowed and her teeth clenched as her chest rose and fell faster than Kenshin thought ever it had before. Then suddenly her face relaxed a bit and her panting began to recede to heavy breathing. She groaned in relaxation and sighed. Her grip on his hand, however, did not loosen as Megumi also sighed with relief.

"A boy…" She said softly. She cleaned and wrapped the baby in a clean towel and handed him to Kaoru. Kaoru was smiling now, a new smile, a motherly smile, at the bundle in her arms. Kenshin gazed down at the baby lovingly and Kaoru knew he would be an excelent father.

Kenshin and Kaoru glanced tiredly at each other, since Kaoru went into labor late in the middle of the night. Then they looked back at the baby in Kaoru's arms. He had barely any hair on his little head but what hair he did have was a bright red color like his father's.

Kaoru stared at the baby and thought, _A name, he needs a name…_

"Our beautiful baby, Kenji…" She said, and Kenshin smiled at her. 

AN: Ok, that was not the last chapter! Oh, and sorry it was sooo extemely rushed. I'm sick of this story already…lol, sry…But anyway, there's going to be one more chapter(a very very very very short chapter) and then probably an epilogue. So hang in there, okay! I'm almost through with my horrible foul rambling about Kenshin and Kaoru. I hope I did the waff/limeyness okay, I don't think I do that stuff good for some reason…And again, I hope you can forgive me for rushing this, like with Jin-E expescially…and the whole Yahiko part. I just didn't feel up to writing it…sweat sorry, i'm sorry…ow! stop with those tomatoes, damn you! NO, wait! I didn't mean that! Come back!

Thank you reviewers and—OW! I said stop! Ack! OK, I'LL LEAVE!


	11. the Edge

AN: Okily Dokily, last chapter here, people. Be excited, be very excited…Or if you thought it was that good…be…be sad…I guess…But, yeah, this is the ending. I don't think it's really a sad ending…But I dunno, I thought that one fanfic I wrote wasn't too sad and I ended up making people cry so…w/e, just read and uh, I hope you enjoy the grande finale! that…isn't really…that…grande…Be warned, it's very, very, very, very, very, very, boring…sorry…but hey, what do you expect from someone like me.

Disclaimer: same as the rest…

Part Eleven: the Edge

Kaoru held her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Oh, how she missed her Kenji…He was such a beautiful child. He would probably return with a wonderful young woman, that is, if he ever returned at all…

Kaoru stood up with anxiety as she saw Kenshin walking towards her, "What happened, Kenshin? What did Megumi say? Oh, Kenshin, are you alright?" Kaoru was near tears as he just walked past her, not saying a word, his face tired and sorrowful.

She turned and let her eyes follow him to their bedroom, where he went in and shut the door…Kaoru gave a great and sorrowful sigh and let a tear spill down her cheek, "Kenshin…" He was sick, and she feared that Megumi bore him ill news about his condition.

Keshin lay on the futon in their bedroom, trying to figure out what to say to her, just as she walked in with a tray of hot food. She set it down by the bed and knelt next to him, silently, pulling the blankets over him. He felt a tear splash onto his face that was burning hot with his fever, as she bent over him, making sure there were no wrinkles in the blanket and arranging the food dishes on the tray perfectly. She then began to feed him, and he let her put the food in his mouth and he swallowed it. For once it was exceptionally good. He let her feed him until there was no more food to be eaten…

Kenshin sat on the porch, examining the rotting flesh on his arms, the pang of hot tears in his eyes. Why now? They were so happy together. Why now? Was this God's way of punishment for everything they had done in the past? It sure was cruel of him, indeed. A fitting punishment, though, perhaps, it was true…But Kaoru didn't deserve any pain…She was his beautiful angel…Even through the hundreds she killed, she was still innocent to him. Why was God doing this to them?

Suddenly he felt Kaoru's cool palm on his neck and he gasped. She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What is it?" She asked with a cracking voice, but calmly, "What did Megumi…?" She couldn't go on…

Kenshin let his eyes fall shut, "I'm so sorry, Kaoru…I love you…You know that…right?" Kaoru nodded her head against his arm, "But…I…we'll be parted soon…I have no chance against this disease. At last I meet an enemy…that I cannot defeat…I just want you to know that I will still love you…even after death…"

Kaoru broke into a sob, "Kenshin…! It isn't true…It isn't!" Kaoru wept into his sleeve for a while then finally whispered, "…Why…?"

Kenshin let a single tear fall, "I don't know…I'm sorry…So sorry…"

Kaoru's crying receded and she heaved a sigh. She had made up her mind…

"Kenshin…sh…" She hesitated, "…Share your pain with me…Kenshin…please…"

"Kaoru, no…You shall not be put through this suffering. I…I can't. I can't let you…"

With that, Kaoru cried out, "Have you no sympathy?" She shook with sobs, "I…I don't want to be alone! I…I don't want to die without you…I can't live, knowing that you aren't…"

Kaoru stood up and pulled him inside and to the bed, "Please, Kenshin…let me bear some of your pain…You need someone to be there with you…Let me be there…" She pulled him down onto the futon and they lay next to each other, peering into each other's eyes.

"Kaoru, I…" Kenshin started. But Kaoru captured his words by kissing him, her brows furrowed, still unable to cope with Kenshin's fate.

Kenshin pulled away and rolled over so that he was on top of her, "Kaoru, I'm sorry…" And he kissed her again as he spread his pain to her, horrified by his actions, but not being able to say no to his love. Somehow they found pleasure in their pain and Kaoru moaned into him, not letting him stop. They were to be linked for all eternity…

The next morning Kaoru awoke with a fever. _So soon?_ she thought. But it was better that way. The closer to Kenshin's condition she was, the better…Kaoru was about to get up and make breakfast, ignoring the heat in her face and the exauhstion of not getting enough sleep. Kenshin was still sleeping beside her. All pleasure was gone. Only the pain remained.

A few weeks later Kaoru's condition got serious, Megumi often had to take trips to the dojo, giving them both a dose of putrid medicine, hoping it would prolong their lives, even if it was just by a little.

One day Kenshin disappeared. He returned a that same night and Kaoru didn't question him. She only cried in joy over his return and they went inside, both weezing and tired. That's when Kenshin noticed. Kaoru looked old and worn. She wasn't the same laughing angel she used to be. And inside he cried, for he was the reason or that. He made her this way because she asked him to. He was killing her and he choked, stopping her as she led him back to the house.

Kaoru turned and faced him, "Kenshin, love, can you make it to the house?" She couldn't even smile anymore. He kicked himself and started pulling his hair, tears streaming down his face.

"Kenshin? Kenshin! Stop! What's wrong? Anata!" She knelt beside him and gripped his shoulders as he sunk to the ground, clutching his head.

"Kaoru…Kaoru…Why? Why did this happen to you? It's because of me! It's my fault…? I did it to you…" Kenshin was barely able to speak, his voice was harsh and raspy, "You should still be laughing, you should be smiling. But you aren't…I…I kill everything I touch…everything I love…"

"Kenshin! Stop! This is foolishness!…It isn't your fault, Kenshin…! I wanted this, Kenshin, remember that…" Kaoru coughed over her shoulder, "I can still laugh and smile, but not without you, Kenshin. You must stay with me…until the end…Kenshin…oh, please…please, stay with me…"

They went into the house and Megumi stood there, shocked and horrified, "What are you doing! Get in bed! Where have you been, Kenshin-san!"

Kenshin was wrapped in bandages all the way up to his neck. His coordinations were shot, as if he were drunk, and he hardly ever woke up at all.

Kaoru wasn't faring much better, either. She wasn't able to get out of bed and was always calling out for her Kenji. She wanted to see him, at least one more time.

Yahiko came to see how Kaoru and Kenshin were doing and fortunately they were both awake. He had grown and was very strong after Kaoru's many training lessons. He remembered when Kaoru first started to seem sick. He wished now that he had come to visit more often. He hardly ever came at all…Always there was work to do at the Akeabeko. But why hadn't he just told her that he wanted to visit Kenshin and Kaoru?

Kaoru grabbed Kenshin's fragile hand when Yahiko stepped in and said with a voice little more than a whisper, "Oh, Yahiko. Why, we haven't seen you in a while, have we?"

Yahiko looked down, tears about to fall, "I'm sorry. I swear I will do anything in my power for you. Anything in the world you want…Everything that you've done for me…and I wasn't here enough…You're both sick…I'm still not strong enough to be here for you guys…Why didn't I just…?"

"Oh, Yahiko, you're strong, and I know because I taught you. It was an honor, Yahiko. Wasn't it, Kenshin?"

Kenshin looked over at Kaoru and tried to smile. Then Kaoru thought of something. And she stared up at Yahiko with sad, dying eyes.

"Yahiko…Something…I wish for you to do…"

"Yes? Yes, Kaoru? I will do it. Was it is that you need?"

"Yahiko, bring my son to me…" And then Kaoru's voice trailed of and she fell into sleep, her chest rising and falling with ragged breath. Kenshin turned his head to look at Yahiko and gazed at him with eyes that wouldn't see for much longer, then he shut them, and fell asleep as well…

Yahiko looked at Megumi, and Megumi looked at him. Each stare was as sad as the other for their friends, who didn't deserve to die so soon. And Yahiko then turned and left the room.

A few days later Yahiko had returned, with Kenji. Kenji stared down at his sleeping parents, who were both on death's doorstep. He pitied them as he stood there. He looked just like Kenshin. But as he stood there and watched his mother and father, he thought, they were not strong. No, they could never have been…These people are weak. They are not my parents. I will be stronger than anyone. These people are not strong…

And he cried for them, for he knew that what he thought was just a bunch of lies. He just didn't want to believe it, that they were dying, rotting right in front of him.

Suddenly Kaoru's eyes opened and she met Kenji's tearful gaze, "Kenji…Oh, my Kenji…How I missed you…How I've seen you so often in my dreams. You look exactly like your father…Is Kenshin awake?"

Kenji looked over to his father, sleeping and breathing harshly, eyes clenched shut, as if he were wincing in pain. Kenji shook his head at his mother, who sighed and let a tear fall.

"He would have liked to see you again. We missed you so much, Kenji, thank god you've returned…" Then she spotted Yahiko in the doorway, "Ah, you are a wonderful boy, Yahiko. Thank you…thank you, for bringing him home…" Yahiko knelt down beside Kaoru and held her hand.

"Kaoru…Why? Why did it have to be like this? Why are you both…?"

"Oh, don't worry, Yahiko, this is how it is supposed to be…I've lived a full life, and I've seen many lives, deaths, I've even taken lives…Not it is my turn…This disease, this…leprocy…It is taking my life now, and I'm ready…I won't be able to hold on much longer…I'm not as strong as I used to be…"

Kenji knelt beside Yahiko and grabbed Kaoru's hand from him, "I'm sorry, Mother…" And just then Kenshin awoke and stared up at his son, "Father…"

Kenshin smiled but Kaoru was already asleep. Kenshin was holding onto life by a thread, and so he could no longer stay conscious. That was the last the two were to see of their son.

It was the middle of the night and Kenshin somehow could not sleep. Kenji stayed in his parents' bedroom and had fallen asleep next to their futon. Kaoru woke up and peered into Kenshin's eyes, understanding, and she started to cry.

"Kenshin, Kenshin, wait for me…Kenshin…" Kaoru didn't want him to go without her. But he was not able to hold on any longer. He held on for as long as he could for her. But it wasn't enough anymore. He couldn't do it.

Kaoru knew this and so she a let one more tear fall and said, "Okay, Kenshin, okay…"

"I…love y-you…"

I am happy. In fact, I think this is the happiest I've ever been. Looking back, I've lived a full life and I have no regrets. My son is doing well, I'm sure he'll take over the dojo once we're gone. And as I stare at Kenshin now, I understand. He has been holding on to life just so I wouldn't be alone. Now it pains me to know that we are both dying, sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am staring into his eyes now, and I can tell that he is saying to me without words, "I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer…" And I have been waiting for this time so I, too, can just give up and let death take me. There is no strength left in us. This way we'll both die together. That is how I want it to be.

With my dying strength I lean over and kiss his fragile lips. He smiles and I watch as his eyes stare at me and then his smile fades. But somehow I can tell that he can no longer see me. His eyes are glazed, unfocused, like they can see right through me. Oh, no…

He's gone.

I hope he is waiting for me. I am coming, Kenshin…

Tears eat up the rest of my strength. I am ready for death. I no longer have any feeling in my body, no sounds reach me. Tears are still falling, I'm sure, as I stare at his lifeless eyes. Vision is dark. I can't see clearly.

Am I dying?

I can no longer see Kenshin, though my eyes are wide open. I can't see anything.

Am I blind?

Suddenly I am walking forward. There is only darkness. Blackness everywhere. Where am I?

What is that? Ahead of me…

Something in the blackness. Red. Blood? No. It is hair. Red hair. It is Kenshin. He did wait for me. Oh, thank you, thank you, god for letting him wait…!

He holds out his hand. I realize, I am not tired, there is no pain. Kenshin is smiling. This is death, then? I smile back at him and take his hand. He kisses my forehead and we walk through the blackness of this place that is death. Happiness, I somehow feel happiness still.

Oh, Kenshin, this is how it should be…And do you remember how it all started as well? When we first met…We will always be together. We are together right now, even after the end of our lives, as we step off the edge of the universe, and this is death. What happens now? But it doesn't matter, for I know now that we will always be together…

fin

AN: So, was it too sad? I think it was a pretty happy ending, however the rest of the chapter was boring. It seemed like it dragged on and on and on and on…Oh, screw everything I just said, this chapter sucked… :( …But…oh, well, I tried…Don't forget, there is going to be an epilogue about our beloved Kenji of course! So don't forget to check for that every now and then. It shouldn't be that long of a wait. Feel free to burn me on this chapter, but if you do so, give some reason or advise. Don't just say "it sucked and reminded me of dragontales, it was so horrible, i hate it, bleck! ew! poo!" because I agree it wasn't too exciting, but come on. I need a bit of _useful_ feedback, if you know what I mean. Hehe. So thank you for putting up with me. I hope you enjoyed some of the story at least, if not most of it. I'm going to put the reviewer thanks in the epilogue so that I get everybody that reviewed for this chappie too. Kay? thank you again and I'm done talking…beep…


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